Let Me In
by La Luna Negra
Summary: ON HOLD SuzaXLulu.When suffering was the only solution to save them, Lelouch found himself alone, with his options running out. Enter Suzaku. Could he find in him the last black piece on the chess board, the Knight to help him accomplish his victory?
1. the Prince of Ashford Academy

Disclaimer: I don't think I'm smart enough to come up with Code Geass. So, no, I don't own any of it T.T

A/N: This is my first attempt to write Fan fiction with Code Geass as its center. I'll try my best. This is **Suzaku x Lelouch** fiction. You've been warned. You don't like it? Please press the back button. Another thing; this **may** contain spoilers of **Code Geass R1 & R2**. Many variables will be changed. However, the characters will stay in character as much as possible. I hope you enjoy it, I know I am; I've forgotten the joy of writing something _**new**_. Now I know why I was so addicted to writing.

Moving on to—

**Chapter One:**** Prince of Ashford Academy**

_We will do it together!_

If life was all about catching up to others' dreams and surpassing them, then he supposed he shouldn't be so surprised that he's so disinterested. Days passed by, and there was no sense of accomplishment, no goal in the horizon, if you will. Oh, he had a goal in the past; it was simply to get away. It was an easy goal, especially with the level of his intelligence and connections, so why didn't he act on his perfect plans? Because if he did act on that sole desire, those he held dear will suffer the consequences.

With things going as they were, he wouldn't be surprised if his escape route would be natural death, but he couldn't wait for that either. His enemy was focused on him, and he couldn't afford to let his attention wander, or all would be for nothing.

Killing him seemed to be the only solution.

But could he do it? Did he dare? Wouldn't that make them sad? Should he be the only sacrifice? Could he ever be free? Or would they go down, together?

That last thought always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Is this seat free?"

For a second, he considered ignoring the voice, but only for a second; the voice was unfamiliar, yes, but it warm and pleasant, as if he had just dipped in a very hot bath. He turned his head slightly, and caught sight of emerald green eyes looking straight at him. He cleared his throat, and chose to say quite pleasantly, "It is free,"

The other teenager grinned broadly, and sat down next to him, instead of across the table as he had anticipated. He forced back a blink; the emerald-eyed teenager seemed to be the type to act impulsively.

He was beginning to regret the decision of acknowledging the stranger.

"Wow, Lelouch! Are my eyes deceiving me, or are you actually eating?!"

Lelouch suppressed a sigh, and turned to the owner of the boisterous voice. He was already familiar with her ways, of course; Milly Ashford, the President of the School Council, was as crazy as they come, her blonde hair bouncing, along with sapphire eyes gleaming with mischief. When that look was directed toward him, Lelouch could hardly be blamed if he squeaked and ran. But as he was neither a girl, nor an athlete, he was forced to stay where he was, watching as the source of doom in this school became closer. He could see Shirley (Redhead with olive eyes), and Rivalz (With blue eyes, and hair of the same shade) behind the President, but he didn't hold his breath; he knew that while they were both his classmates, they were also members of the Student council, and they would be behind Milly in whatever she decides, otherwise, her wrath would be directed towards them.

"Is your new friend the cause of this miracle?"

Lelouch couldn't help blinking this time – New friend? When?

"What's your name?" Milly continued enthusiastically.

Lelouch only then noticed that her gaze was directed to the emerald-eyed boy. He supposed he couldn't blame her; the boy was sitting next to him after all.

"Suzaku Kururugi, at your service," the now dubbed Kururugi smiled.

"He joined our class today," Shirley added, "He's the new transfer student!"

_Joined today?_ Lelouch wasn't surprised that he didn't remember; after all he had surreptitiously slept through the first three periods. He was slightly disturbed all though; he should have been more alert. Lelouch sighed mentally; he shouldn't be that surprised, as yesterday was the hardest day of the month.

"Ah!" Milly was almost twinkling by now, always a bad sign, "the Special Student!"

Lelouch noticed Kururugi's cheeks reddening slightly with obvious embarrassment. So . . . he's naïve and impulsive? What a charming combination, Lelouch thought sarcastically.

"Special student?" Shirley asked slowly, as if tasting the words. "Is there such thing?"

"Well, it's not that common," Milly admitted, and Lelouch noticed with amusement that she had gone into the famous acting-as-if-the-subject-of-her-conversation-was-not-there mode, which in turn meant that the torture-Lelouch routine had been evaded. Not for long, he knew, but enough to grant him the chance to finish his meal in peace. "His last name is Kururugi, and, as you know, this Academy is especially built for Britannian Students, especially those who are wealthy and could afford being in this school. Suzaku is Japanese, so that means he's a typical Studious Commoner; the entrance exams are so difficult," Milly turned to acknowledge Kururugi, beaming, "Right?"

Lelouch kept his eyes fixed on his plate, but he felt slightly annoyed by Milly's attitude, which followed the typical Britannian thyme. Even though the Academy was built on Japanese grounds, the Academy's education, and rules were identical to her peers in the Britannian Empire.

So the students here carried a variation of 'holier than thou' attitude, especially since they didn't have to deal with Japanese. The Academy itself was within a settlement that contained only Britannian citizens. The Shops, the companies, even the police were all Britannian. They even had their representatives in the most important branches of the government. No one was sure how it happened, but suddenly, there was an alien county within the country, and the Japanese Government made no move to stop it, or to eliminate it; there was no need to anger the Britannian Empire, was there? It wasn't like the Japanese were not allowed to live there, but why would a sane Japanese go to live within that county, where 99% were Britannians? The 1% was actually the Japanese handling the manual labor, ranging from maids to construction builders.

So Suzaku Kururugi's existence among them was unexpected, and on some level, unwelcome to most. After all, Lelouch thought darkly, those brats would act as if Kururugi's existence would disturb their lives.

He wasn't sure what made him do it, but he had lifted his head from the plate that was still half full, feeling suddenly as though he couldn't eat anymore. He looked straight at Milly, who was still talking.

"You must be a genius to win a Scholarship! I mean, really, disregarding Britannian candidates to accept a Japanese candidate? Never happened before! And—what is it, Lelouch?"

"Don't you feel that he is a good candidate to join us? He's special, isn't he?" Lelouch suggested casually.

Kururugi, who was looking slightly relieved when Milly had shifted her attention, looked stressed again at Lelouch's words.

"Join?" Kururugi sounded really nervous . . . smart guy, not so naïve then, Lelouch revaluated, "What—"

"Lelouch, I can't believe I haven't thought of that! I was right to make you Vice President!" Milly looked downright evil when she turned to look at Kururugi, "My, my, Suzaku, managing to catch Lelouch's attention from the first day?" Kururugi opened his mouth, to protest probably, Lelouch thought with amusement, "Special indeed! From now on, you are the newest member of the Student Council! Consider it an honor!"

Maybe he did it so that Milly would shift her torture, ahem, special treatment to Kururugi?

But Lelouch never fancied himself as someone content to live in denial. He had helped Kururugi to spare him going through loneliness, at least through the first term, until people accepted him; most Britannians believed Japanese to be uncultured barbaric crowd. As if to reinforce his thoughts, he suddenly noticed Nina hiding behind Shirley.

The question was why did he help him?

Lelouch quickly shrugged it off; it didn't cost him anything, and it wouldn't in the future.

How wrong he was.

--------------

"So you are the prince of Ashford Academy?"

To his credit, Lelouch had not jumped. He merely pretended to continue reading the paragraph of a rather interesting theory about the interpersonal relations between humans. He had always been interested in the motivations that lay behind the people's emotions, actions, and thoughts, all elements that contradicted themselves more often than not. He didn't like the theory that Freud presented; it almost as if he had been solely molded by the circumstances of his Childhood, and that was not a cheerful thought. The Cognitive School sounded more logical, except that—

Suddenly a hand landed on his should and he tensed involuntarily.

He couldn't control the glare that he shot the offender, but as it accomplished the immediate goal, he wasn't sorry at all; the heat of his glare seemed enough to make Kururugi retract his hand, as if it was burned. However, Kururugi smiled friendly, and that more than anything managed to tick Lelouch off.

"Just making sure that you weren't sleeping," Kururugi offered as though it was an adequate explanation.

"I was reading," Lelouch answered rather coldly. He couldn't let Kururugi get away with it after all; the thought of the guy touching him again made him cringe.

"Your head was down, and I have been told that you are an expert in the art of sleeping without being detected," Kururugi seemed totally unfazed by his coldness.

"I'd appreciate it if you don't do that again," Lelouch's tone was frosty, making it clear to Kururugi that he didn't, and would not tolerate it if it was repeated.

To his immense annoyance, though he did not show it, Kururugi continued as if Lelouch had not said a thing. "How come people call you the Prince of Ashford Academy?" he asked curiously.

It had been a week since Kururugi had joined their Academy, so Lelouch was not surprised that he had already learned of that nickname. The question, however, unnerved him slightly.

"It's not like I dubbed myself with that name," Lelouch said, his voice flat with disinterest.

To his horror, Kururugi sat down next to him. "Yes, but it's not a usual nickname. I have heard that you're also dubbed the Black King, as you are the official Master of Chess in this school. Say, are you Royalty, or something?"

That confirmed it. Kururugi's curiosity was unnatural, and Lelouch was instantly on guard, though he remained in his previous position—relaxed on the coach, and his right hand holding his book. He acknowledged Kururugi with a glance, but he only said, "Of course, isn't it obvious?"

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeh?!" Kururugi jumped to his feet, his right hand near his left waist, before letting it drop quickly.

Lelouch snorted, "I can't believe you actually fell for that, Kururugi, have you forgotten what my surname is? It is Lamperouge, for future reference," Kururugi had insisted on calling him by his first name, "And why would a prince be here according to you?" Lelouch added his voice deliberately amused.

Kururugi blinked at him, and then sighed heavily. "You are not funny,"

"I wasn't trying to be. You made a fool of yourself with your own handy work," Lelouch deadpanned, going back to his book.

"Shut up! And stop calling me Kururugi! It's Suzaku, remember?"

Lelouch ignored him rather effectively, and tried to focus on his book, but he couldn't, his heart still racing.

He knew that there was no way that Kururugi's armed, but the reaction was pure instinct. And he _was_ looking for a Prince.

It didn't take a genius that he had to be extra careful from now on, if that was even possible.

T.B.C

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A/N: So, what do you think? I have spent the day writing this, and plot is growing in my mind. I know things don't look cheerful between our favorite couple, but what can I say? I – like many other Authors – love to make things difficult for one Suzaku Kururugi. Or maybe I'm alone in that? I have read a lot of fan fiction insisting on torturing Lelouch T.T

Please tell me what you think.

Take care.

La Luna Negra Out.


	2. Safety

**Disclaimer: ** Not mine.

**A/N:** In order to avoid confusion, I decided to tell you in advance. The point of view will alternate between Lelouch and Suzaku. I know it's a somewhat difficult technique, and might confuse the reader if used recklessly, but if I follow Lelouch only, you guys will be bored before long.

Ok, here we go—

**Chapter Two:** _Safety_

Lelouch had hoped that Milly Ashford would be so focused on the newest addition to the council, that she would forget that he even existed. Unfortunately, that did not work, and it was all Kururugi's fault. The new guy proved to be everything that Lelouch wasn't; athlete, annoyingly cheerful, and with a happy-go-lucky personality that teasing him mercilessly did not gratify Milly; the guy actually _laughed_ when they forced him into a fairy costume, which was complete with frills and wings.

Needless to say, Lelouch would fight (using teeth and nails if necessary), if they forced said costume on him. Sad thing was, Milly enjoyed using her authority, watching people trying to escape, and in the end, getting her way.

That line of reasoning implied complying with any plan that the Madwoman suggests, so maybe Kururugi had the right idea. But Lelouch knew better; Milly would seize the rare opportunity, and force him to do the unthinkable, if only to test his limits, watch him squirm, and finally, against all the odds, win.

He knew that under normal circumstances, he would have resented Milly, but he understood that this was her way of trying to make him show any emotion other than the usual (bored, disinterested, and sleeping), and hopefully smile sincerely. Besides, he was as ruthless as she was when it came to Chess; squirming opponents are always amusing.

Kururugi also seemed to have acquired the terrible habit of following him around. Surely, he still didn't suspect that Lelouch was a prince? He was certain that his trail was hidden from the world, but one could never be too careful.

He knew certain facts about Kururugi: he was Japanese, son of the former Minister of Japan (Died recently), missed Japanese food terribly, and knew almost nothing about foreign meals.

What kind of a spy did they send? And who are they, exactly?

But Lelouch could see their reasoning. Kururugi is what you would call a good teenager. His grades were high, although Lelouch could see that it was through effort, not intelligence alone. He was athlete, as previously stated (Almost labeled an exercise nut). Not a suspicious character at all.

Finally, he was honest.

That last thought was what almost threw Lelouch off. Honest. It was not a word that he had thought to label anyone, except perhaps his small sisters.

His heart clenched with nerves, and he shook his head, in a fruitless effort to shake the thought off.

"What is it?"

Lelouch turned to face his 'stalker', and suppressed a sigh. "Nothing important," he lied easily.

Yes, Kururugi was the exact opposite.

"You should eat, you know, you are so thin, almost Anorexic," Kururugi muttered, glancing at Lelouch's meal. The sandwich had been waiting there miserably for the last ten minutes; Lelouch had taken a few small bites, before leaving it there. Kururugi almost seemed sorry for the sandwich.

"I'm not hungry," Lelouch replied easily, "And please do not label me as Anorexic, my weight is within the ideal range,"

Kururugi narrowed his eyes in obvious disbelief; Lelouch could read him like an open book, "Are you sure? Never mind, don't answer that," Kururugi sighed, before smiling slightly, "Even if you are not hungry, you should finish the sandwich; it will be three hours before we could leave the school, and I know you haven't had breakfast. Not what I would call healthy. Eat."

"Kururugi—"

"Yes, Lulu?" Kururugi blinked in fake innocence.

Lelouch lost the battle of control once again, "_Do not call me that_," he hissed.

"You know what to do," Kururugi smirked, which looked unnatural on such an innocent face.

Lelouch had been subjected to this treatment many times before this. His immediate retaliation had been to ignore him, but then Kururugi had started calling him "Lulu!" in a really high voice. Realizing quickly that ignoring him was not the right tactic, Lelouch had quickly switched to teasing him with a growled, "Yes, Suzy?"

Again the plan had backfired.

The guy had only grinned widely, and said quite cheerfully, mind you, "Much better than Kururugi,"

Since then, Lelouch had come upon one conclusion; Suzaku Kururugi didn't care what other people think of him.

Not that Lelouch cared of course, but he knew his own weaknesses. He knew he was admired, and respected, but to be called **Lulu** was a stab in his masculinity that had suffered enough because of his 'delicate features, and bone structure'. He resolutely ignored the real reason the nickname bothered him when called by a male.

At least he was tall.

Back to the present, he wet his lips, "Suzaku," he began, thinking that he would never repeat that name unless it was absolutely necessary, and if he had to, he would call him by his full name, "I know my body's capacity and eating habits. I have had breakfast back in the dorms. I will eat after the lessons finish. I will not eat now." Kururugi pouted. "I'm serious,"

"That's the problem," Kururugi said softly, and Lelouch frowned slightly, "You are so serious that you don't enjoy the life you have before you. I hope you realize that before it's too late." Kururugi focused on his meal, obviously still finding it slightly difficult to use the knife and fork, as he was used to chopsticks.

"Would it hurt them to cut the steak to small pieces in the kitchen?" Kururugi growled at his meal, "I miss my chopsticks!"

Lelouch withdrew from the green-eyed teenager sitting next to him. He found it slightly fascinating the way he interacted with Kururugi. From the day they had met, Kururugi had apparently decided that he was his friend. Kururugi didn't really talk to anyone besides the Student Council, and even then, he still favored Lelouch. Why? It didn't make sense. Lelouch had not made it easy for others to befriend him, or to even try. Sure, everyone admired him, but it was all from afar. He remembered meeting Milly as a freshman one year ago.

He recalled that he was on his way to class, when he had been pulled from behind, and into an empty classroom. Lelouch had almost reacted violently, but then he had stopped to analyze the hand on his shoulder. The grip had been strong, yes, but the fingers were definitely feminine. He had forced himself to relax, and turned to face his assaulter. He had recognized her immediately as Milly Ashford, the superintendent's granddaughter.

"How can I help you, Ms. Ashford?" he had asked properly with a practiced smile.

She had been frowning slightly, glaring at him, but then she had suddenly grinned.

"I like you. You are going to be the Vice President of the Student Council."

So Milly had practically forced herself on him, really, and accordingly, he was forced on the other members of the council. He knew they were forced to join, but back then, he hadn't known. Rivalz had won Lelouch over by introducing him to the world of gambling using Chess. That was practically his salvation from complete boredom. Shirley, he remembered, had been wary of him, but for some reason her attitude had changed drastically, and she had become affectionate and honestly kind as she was now. He hadn't been able to refuse such honesty, and had even allowed her to call him Lulu in private (Which was how Kururugi had picked it up). He hadn't been sure about Nina, but her brilliant mind was enough to stop him from brushing her off.

Kururugi was another matter entirely. Lelouch was sure that he hadn't done anything to warrant the attention of the green-eyed teenager. A flash of red made him turn his head slightly. He took a moment to recognize her, but the fiery redhead was not easy to forget. She was the last member of the Student Council. Kallen Stadtfeld. There was only one way to describe her: vicious. She was vicious in everything; the way she walked, dressed, talked, loved, hated, and even ate. It was like she was making up for the six months she had spent in the hospital. But still, she had managed not to lose the year. Lelouch knew that it was her first day back.

Lelouch almost groaned. He never was sure who was worse; Kallen or Milly.

Maybe he should hold a contest to figure that out, but it would probably involve Lelouch himself as the unfortunate victim, so it wasn't worth the trouble.

"Listen, I have to leave, see you later," Lelouch said hastily, and without waiting for an acknowledgment from his companion, he rapidly disappeared in the crowd.

He didn't see Kururugi looking thoughtfully at his retreating back.

-----------------------------

"You could just cut off the eaten part if you are disgusted," an amused voice suggested.

Suzaku looked up, and smiled, "Hello, Kallen,"

Kallen sat down next to him, and though her face was completely neutral, her anger was clear in her voice, "Idiot, you are not supposed to know me!"

"No one's listening," Kururugi picked up the sandwich left by the amethyst-eyed teenager, and took a large bite. It was tasty, more so than the steak he had just eaten.

Kallen sat next to him, placing her meal in front of her. "Found the target?" she asked quietly.

"I thought it was Lelouch Lamperouge at first, but then—" he was interrupted by a derisive snort of his 'partner'. "What?" he asked indignantly.

"I admit, he's arrogant, pompous, and haughty enough to be a prince, however," Kallen waved her finger in front of his face so closely, that he went slightly cross-eyed. "That's the thing; the prince we are looking around for is supposed to be heartbroken, and almost comatose," Kallen sneered, "That Schneizel bastard—"

"You know, sometimes, I get confused about our objective when I hear you talking like that about our mission," Suzaku frowned taking another bite.

Kallen was silent for a second, glaring at him, but then she looked away, "Me too," she whispered.

And that worried Suzaku more than anything else.

-----------------------------

Lelouch was barely aware of his surroundings as the day continued monotonously. He knew he came across as more standoffish than usual, but he doubted anyone would notice. He knew that Kururugi was glancing at him frequently, but he ignored him. He was worried, as he always was whenever there was a meeting. Each week they would choose a different day to meet, sometimes the separation was less than a week, sometimes more. It's been ten days since he last saw her, and he knew that his anxiety was rising with each passing moment.

The bell finally rang signaling the last lesson. Lelouch sprang to his feet, his bag already packed with all his supplies, and dashed towards the door, leaving before their tutor. He was quite aware that he had attracted a lot of attention, but he also knew that most would shrug it off within the next minute; Lelouch was that weird.

He made it quickly to the back yard. He didn't even pause to catch his breath. He got on his precious motorcycle, and the engine hummed signaling that he could leave shortly. Now that he was doing something constructive, Lelouch allowed his shoulders to relax, and deftly secured the helmet, the belt slightly tight under chin. Finally, after he deemed it prepared enough, Lelouch sped away from the campus, leaving a wake of dust behind him.

After a few minutes into the main road, he hastily maneuvered his motorcycle toward the Mall, the car that was following him passed him after this unexpected change of course. He made it to the Parking lot, and left his motorcycle after making sure that he had paid the correct amount. He knew he was racing against time as he entered the public bathroom (which was empty), and into one of the stalls. He changed his clothes, a brown wig concealing his black hair, and a pair of brown contact lenses hiding his amethyst eyes. His clothes were baggy, concealing his slight build. He left the bathroom and the Mall under his new disguise, and quickly hailed a cab.

He ordered the cab to go to another Mall, in order to change his disguise yet again. This time he changed to casual clothes, changed his hair style slightly, and wore black contact lenses. He left the Mall fairly quickly, and opted to walk to his destination. This guise was more likely to blend in the Japanese society.

Now, he focused on the streets, the cars' movements, and the traffic lights, both to make sure that he was not followed, and to shift his worry away from the sole reason of his survival up to this point.

It was always like that, between every meeting; the relief that lasted barely for a day, the anxiety building gradually over the week, and finally relief again. It was always worse, of course, when the separation was long. Ten days? Bad things happen in mere seconds, if not milliseconds.

Lelouch could attest to that.

And Kururugi dared to say _that_ to him, did he? _"You are so serious that you don't enjoy the life you have before you. I hope you realize that before it's too late."_

As if Kururugi could understand what he was going through? A familiar sting in his eyes told him that he should focus on his surroundings, rather than on what idiots like Kururugi utter when they feel like it.

Finally he could see his final destination; he headed straight to the Pizza Hut.

He barely acknowledged the guy who opened the door for him, choosing to look around before spotting his target. Lelouch forced himself to walk. His indecision was always like that; stop and never listen to the bad news, or run to hear any news?

Black eyes made their appearance when she looked up at him. Her black hair and eyes didn't deceive him of course. That expressionless face was one of a kind.

But he didn't spare a moment to worry about that.

"They are perfectly safe and sound," she said calmly, as if she was talking about the weather. "They are with Cornelia and Rollo now, painting, besides Schneizel is not in the Palace. He's in Morocco. V.V is with him. "

Lelouch always appreciated the fact that she knew that it was best to answer his unasked questions. Lelouch sat down with a dull _thud_ on the coach across her, and closed his eyes, a heavy sigh of relief leaving his lips.

In the past, he had considered the possibility that she was lying to him, but she had proven him wrong quickly after one month of surveillance. Back then, Nunnally had fallen off her horse, and nearly broken her neck. Thankfully, Cornelia was there, so there were no lasting injuries. He remembered that she had told him about it immediately after his arrival. It had caused him enough shock to make him land quite heavily on the couch. She had quickly reassured him of her safety, but since then, she had always made sure that he was near something that would cushion his fall whenever she had bad news, which, thank Heavens, was not often.

"Painting?" Lelouch asked faintly.

"Pizza?" she returned with an expressionless face.

"Of course," Lelouch said allowing a tired smile to make its appearance.

After making sure that they got her order (to be served with one large Pepperoni and Extra Cheese Pizza each thirty minutes until she said otherwise).

"Please indulge me, C.C, before they bring the Pizza," Lelouch requested.

He always did that as well, but her answer was always the same.

"Each Pizza is worth one story after eating it," she answered monotonously, but then she eyed him critically, or as critically as you can be with expressionless eyes, "I'll allow you to eat from the first Pizza. You look so thin." She stated rather insultingly. She managed that quite perfectly with her expressionless eyes.

Lelouch rolled his eyes, but he smiled nonetheless.

They spent the first half hour in silence, waiting for the Pizza. It was their routine, and they knew it was best not to divert away from it.

"Here you go," the waiter said cheerfully. Lelouch suspected that he expected a large tip. Lelouch held back a sigh. The gambling money he had won last time would be gone in an instant.

But it was worth it.

Though he would never admit it, he enjoyed C.C's company as much as her stories of his beloved sisters and brother. She wasn't oppressing, never questioned him, and knew that that he was more than an adult already.

_"You should eat, you know, you are so thin, almost anorexic,"_

Why do I have to remember him now? Lelouch wondered as he viciously took a large bite of the Pizza.

C.C blinked at him, and then smirked, "Who had managed to piss you off?" she asked casually.

"No one of importance," Lelouch answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly.

C.C's smirk widened, "So you don't deny that someone did piss you off?"

"I'm not going to acknowledge that with an answer," Lelouch finished his piece, and sat back as if he had finished.

C.C was not satisfied, "You have to eat four more pieces. Do not force me to blackmail you."

Lelouch grimaced, "Four more pieces? I will be sick! I will have nightmares!"

"No, you won't. Eat."

Lelouch sighed. This was going to be a long night.

-----------------------------

Suzaku frowned slightly, looking around. It was only six o'clock in the afternoon, and Lelouch had disappeared. Had he left the campus? So why was Rivalz here looking adoringly at their President?

The student council didn't seem to mind his absence, nor did anyone question the way Lelouch had left the classroom earlier today. Was he missing something?

Suzaku sighed. He should focus on his mission, instead of wondering about the missing youth. According to the intelligence that they had gathered, the second Prince of Britannia had been dead for the last five years, however, it was only last year that they had suspected that something was amiss. It was actually Kallen who had noticed the irregularity.

She had watched the funerals of Marianne, Charles Zi Britannia, and Lelouch Vi Britannia. All the deaths were unnatural, with a year apart, starting with Marianne's death, and finishing with Lelouch's death. It was still fresh in memory that the Britannian Empire was down with all the tragedy that struck year after year. In the Fourth year, people were actually waiting to hear that one of the Royal Family had met their demises as well, but that was avoided, although, Kallen had once voiced the opinion that tragedy did strike; Schneizel El Britannia became the 100th Emperor of the Britannian Empire.

No one was sure what had made Kallen watch the Funerals. Their ideals did not encourage sympathy for the Royal Family, even after their death. But her doubts brought them to the final conclusion that Lelouch Vi Britannia was alive.

It was all in the details, Suzaku remembered Kallen saying, and he quite agreed. The irregularities were subtle, but they were there. The casket showing Charles and Marianne's faces were exposed to the public, in order to have a last look at their Emperor and Empress. The public, however, didn't get to see Lelouch's face. Schneizel had said mournfully that the assassins had disfigured Lelouch's face, and he wanted the public to remember Lelouch as the beautiful prince he was. No one had disagreed with Schneizel's statement. No one had actually seen the young prince, but with the beauty of all his sisters and brothers displayed, who could disagree?

But then, during the transfer of the body, the casket had opened, allowing a reporter to capture a picture of the disfigured face. The photo was banned, but somehow, it found its way to the internet.

That's what made Kallen voice her misgivings, "Why would the casket open? And the reporter was so skilled that he got that photo? I seriously doubt it. And really, why would the assassin disfigure the face of the prince? Granted, he was the 99th Emperor of Britannia, but he hadn't done anything awful to warrant such treatment. He didn't even get the chance to rule as he was only twelve. I would say Schneizel is behind this, as he was the second in line to the throne, and the only one who would benefit from this. But then again, if he was behind this, why would he disfigure Lelouch's face? It serves no purpose. Anyway, does anyone know why Charles had shifted the power from Schneizel to Lelouch? Schneizel is his first born after all, and there's Cornelia between him and Lelouch."

The doubts made them investigate. They wanted to destroy the Britannian Empire from within, and if there was anything that would make conflict spring in the Empire, it would be blood feud. Betrayal of siblings was unforgivable.

So they had investigated, further uncommon coincidences uncovered. None of the Royal Family had seen the dead body, except for Schneizel. It was quickly explained that Lelouch was severely disfigured, and no one wanted to see him like that. Lelouch's beauty, it seemed, was unique, but that may never be known; there were no recent pictures of the young Prince, as he seemed the type to shy away from the cameras. The twins, Nunnally and Euphemia Li Britannia, had insisted that they wanted to see their brother, the maids whispered between themselves, but Schneizel wouldn't allow it, and it was understandable and natural at the time: who would show a disfigured corpse to eight-year-old children? Rollo Au Britannia, who was a ten-year-old boy back then, was harder to convince, but Cornelia La Britannia intervened before their oldest brother lost his temper. Even Cornelia didn't want to see Lelouch like that, not her beautiful little brother.

Therefore, it had caused them infinite grief when the face was revealed in the internet.

The murders had occurred within the Palace. The assassins of the three murders were caught, but were silenced before they could divulge any secrets. It was almost obvious that this was an inside job, but no one dared to investigate the Royal Family, the Law preferring to chase the pawns instead of their mastermind.

Again, Schneizel was the primary suspect. But even if he was behind all this, who would dare to go against the Emperor? But that was not his only defense; Schneizel was undeniably charismatic and kind to his own Empire, so why would any Britannian turn against him?

The most effective way to prove their theory was to dig the grave, but that was out of question. Not only was it unforgivable to disturb the dead, but the grave was, naturally, within the Royal graveyard, and access to that particular place was difficult if not impossible, let alone digging the grave without being discovered.

So that led them to the next option; observe Schneizel. Their theory depended on the fact that Schneizel wouldn't hide Lelouch, only to kill him later. Close observation of Schneizel was not easy; they were sure that Schneizel would make his visits to his brother with utmost secrecy, and under the cover of official meetings. However, it almost seemed deliberate how Schneizel wouldn't stay more than a week in the Palace every month, opting to wander through the World, in order to attend several meetings, check on the Britannian counties, and the Britannian troops that were engaged in war against terrorism through the world, along with the other major forces around the globe (Mainly the Chinese Federation, and the Euro Universe).

Schneizel's constant movement only managed to exhaust their resources, and so they decided to follow a new strategy. Lelouch Vi Britannia would be a 17-year-old teenager if he's alive. That meant he should be in one of the schools in the counties, within the countries that Schneizel visited frequently.

There were three schools that applied, and one of them was Ashford Academy in Japan, hence Suzaku was transferred to said academy. They would have depended on Kallen, but the fact remained that she was a girl, and wouldn't have access to the boys' dormitories as Suzaku would, of course, unless Kallen wanted her reputation to be effectively ruined. Her father wouldn't be happy to say the least.

All this brought him to his current predicament. Here he was, wondering where Lelouch Lamperouge had disappeared to, when he should be looking for Lelouch Vi Britannia. The irony was not lost on him.

-----------------------------

"Nunnally and Euphemia finished their dancing classes, which is why they are focusing on painting now. Rollo is always copying them so that he'd be next to them at all times. Euphemia is trying to dissuade him from that, saying he shouldn't follow them in the Sewing period. Back to painting, unfortunately, they are choosing Rollo's memory of you as a model, and the result was—interesting. Imagine yourself with wild long hair, purple eyes, a wide smile, and a red rose near your cheek."

Lelouch cringed slightly, "They are still novices," he said casually.

C.C took another bite of the Pizza. Looking at her eating so much made Lelouch's stomach churn. The fact that he had been forced to eat five slices pizza didn't help.

"Clovis is the one who is monitoring their progress, so you could always blame him," C.C took another piece, "You remember him, right?"

Who would forget a prince who insisted that frilly and flamboyant fashion was the way to go? "Of course, why would I forget my cousin? He's a remarkable artist, but no good at Chess."

C.C finished the last piece of Pizza. The Waiter was next to them in an instant.

"Would that be all, Miss?" Waiter asked, clearly torn between expectancy and dread.

Lelouch knew that could only mean that the employees were beginning to feel frustrated. Lelouch couldn't blame them; it was a weekday, nearing 11:30pm, and C.C still didn't show signs of being full. Lelouch knew that the employees were also bewildered at the fact that a girl who looked no older than 17 was eating such huge amounts, and still maintained such slim body. Some of them glanced at Lelouch with pity obvious in their eyes, and he was inclined to agree. He had lost count of how many orders C.C had asked for, but a quick calculation told him that she had eaten at least ten orders of large Pizzas. Maybe she doesn't eat when she's in the Palace?

To his horror, C.C was looking thoughtfully at the waiter, as if weighing her options.

A long pause—

"Yes, that would be all," C.C smiled slightly for effect.

"The bill, please," Lelouch added quite pleasantly.

"Right away, sir!" the waiter said enthusiastically.

Five minutes later, both of them were outside, and silently headed toward C.C's bike (Lelouch had seen it enough times to recognize it anywhere). The street was empty, gloomy despite the street lamps.

Suddenly, C.C did something that she had never done.

"Lelouch, you should stop worrying so much. Cornelia will never leave them alone with Schneizel. She doesn't trust him, not after your supposed death." She almost sounded human, expressing her 'concern'.

"Cornelia is alone against him, and his army," Lelouch said heavily. "She won't stand a chance."

"Cornelia has support—"

"I prefer to leave her out of this—"

"Lelouch, you have to get away, Schneizel's interest won't last that much longer," C.C nearly sounded frustrated. "It's been five years."

"His interest will never wane; I'm making sure of that." Lelouch didn't bother hiding his disgust.

"But this can't go for much longer, you—"

"I know."

Something in Lelouch's tone must have made her stop, because she only sighed heavily. "Be careful."

He opted to ignore the warning, "You are sure no one knows that you are here?"

C.C actually rolled her eyes. "Who do you think you are talking to?"

"Ah, I forgot," Lelouch smiled in amusement, "A witch,"

"Exactly,"

-----------------------------

Suzaku could now fully appreciate how terrible Milly could be when Lelouch was not around. The absence of her 'favorite' victim meant that her attention would be shifted elsewhere.

Apparently, embarrassing him was not enough, but now she's making him do all the paperwork? She's abusing her power!

"Don't whine, Suzy. Lelouch usually finishes it within 30 minutes," Milly said quite cheerfully, "Good night!"

Looking for a prince, he ended up being the dog of the Student Council.

Much later, with stiffness in his neck, Suzaku glanced at the clock, and blanched slightly. There was no curfew, really, but the idea of being caught by a grumpy teacher was not pleasant. It was almost midnight.

Suzaku stretched, and left the room, a handy flashlight in his hands. The club room was slightly far away from the dormitories, but Suzaku was confident that he would not be caught by anyone.

He had expected to catch someone though.

"Lelouch?"

The other teen didn't jump, but Suzaku could see that his back was as stiff as a board.

"What are you doing out here? Where were you?" Suzaku didn't like the way Lelouch looked. He was paler than usual, and he wasn't alert. Was he drunk? Suzaku sniffed, but all he could smell a strong whiff of cheese. Where was he?

"Later," Lelouch snapped.

Suzaku blinked, slightly stunned. He was certain that Lelouch was one of the few people he knew that didn't show many emotions, and irritation was a new one on the list. Surprise turned to concern as he watched Lelouch walk away. Suzaku hurried forward, and walked beside him, but Lelouch only ignored him.

The silence was not uncomfortable, but it was not companionable either. It was more as if they were not walking beside each other. Suzaku frowned slightly at his thoughts. Yes, Lelouch did have a very high wall around him, but he didn't come here to make friends. He was there to look for Lelouch Vi Britannia.

But he couldn't help it, really, Lelouch was a fascinating individual. Not only were his looks unique and attractive, but despite the aura of a great wall, Suzaku saw how people were drawn to the Prince of Ashford Academy.

He would make a great leader if he so desired, but if Shirley was to be believed, Lelouch didn't apply himself, because nothing would change. When asked what 'nothing' included, Shirley would only shrug, and say quietly, "It's just a feeling,"

Suzaku blinked again. They had stopped, and Lelouch had opened the door on the right, and entered his room. Lelouch pushed the door to close it, but not enough force was applied, so it stayed open. _He must be tired,_ Suzaku thought almost fondly. He was about to close the door behind Lelouch when he saw the other boy take off his shoes, and proceeded to fall on the bed. Suzaku hesitated. He knew that the night was cold. Plus, there was the pale skin. Ok, he must admit, he was worried.

He pushed the door open, and stepped quietly in the dorm. He looked around, and was surprised to see that it was exceptionally clean. Even the shoes that Lelouch had just taken off were lined neatly next to the base of the bed. He looked at Lelouch, and noticed that he was actually sleeping quite soundly.

Suzaku sighed quietly. He knew it would be hopeless to look for extra covers in the dormitory, and he couldn't give his covers to Lelouch. Furthermore, he couldn't just pick Lelouch up, and tuck him in. He was sure it would be easy, but Lelouch would probably behead him.

So he headed toward the supply room in the ground floor, and it was ten minutes before he found them. Making his way quickly and quietly up the stairs to the fourth floor, he cursed softly under his breath; he had left Lelouch without covers for fifteen minutes.

He tried to control his breathing as he finally reached Lelouch's dormitory. Peering inside, he saw that Lelouch was not sleeping peacefully as he had thought. In fact, judging by the small groan that left Lelouch's mouth, he was having a nightmare.

It didn't take long for Suzaku to cross the room, and to place a hand on Lelouch's forehead. It always worked when he did that for Kaguya, his cousin, whenever she had a nightmare.

It seemed that Lelouch was not different from the rest of human kind, Suzaku thought in amusement as he watched Lelouch relaxing back, but he was yet again startled when Lelouch spoke.

"Get away from me . . . from them,"

For a moment, Suzaku thought that that Lelouch was addressing him, but the whisper was so full of hate, and Suzaku was sure he didn't warrant that yet. Also, his eyes were closed.

"You are safe, and so they are," Suzaku said softly in an attempt to calm him down, his hand moving to brush the inky bangs.

Lelouch smiled.

Suzaku blinked yet again, before grinning. He covered Lelouch with the blanket, and stayed another five minutes to make sure that no nightmares would disturb him again.

Finally satisfied, he got up and stretched. He stared at Lelouch for a second, before chuckling quietly.

"I don't think Lelouch Vi Britannia could be more beautiful than you," he whispered in amusement.

Maybe it was because he was so sleepy, but Suzaku was not disturbed by the idea.

Unknown to him, this was the most peaceful slumber Lelouch had in the last seven years.

T.B.C

-----------------------------

A/N: Wow. Did I just write 5000 words? Please reward me for such a long chapter?

I know nothing happened, but I'm establishing a plot and a relationship here, so I can't begin action any time soon.

**Post Note:** before any of you protest against the whole 'Zi, Vi, El, Au, Li Britannia' thing, I know I have changed Cornelia and Nunnally's middle names, and added Rollo to the Royal Family, but in this story Charles was married only once, to Marianne, but I didn't want to lose the 'Lelouch Vi Britannia' ring, but couldn't bear to change all of them to 'Vi', thus I have rearranged it a bit. Nunnally and Euphemia are twins thus they both are 'Li Britannia'.

Until next week.

La Luna Negra out.


	3. Control

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: Decided to change the rating. The last thing I want is for Fanfiction to take down my story. So it's rated 'M' to be safe, or to cover unforeseen material.

Let the show begin!

**Chapter Three:** _Control_

"Lelouch is pissed off." Milly announced.

Any student in Ashford Academy hearing that statement would inevitably pause whatever they are doing at the time. Lelouch was not known for being the sunshine of the Academy, but neither was he known for being an emotional teenager. 'Pissed off' was an extreme emotion, and Lelouch Lamperouge made it his business to appear bored, disinterested, or sleepy. Sure, he had been seen frowning, but those lines would be smoothed out in a few seconds, so those moments do not count. Does smirking count as a show of emotion, though?

"Should we run for cover?" Shirley smacked him with a rolled up paper, "What? You know we can't deal with him when he's like that," Rivalz grumbled, rubbing the back his head.

"We have to try and help," Shirley sounded upset and worried.

"What makes you say he's pissed off?" Kallen asked curiously.

Suzaku glanced at Kallen, frowning slightly. He could almost hear the concern in her voice. Was Lelouch being 'pissed off' that serious?

"Well, let's see," Milly began counting the reasons on her well-manicured fingers, "He had attended P.E Class willingly—"

"You're kidding!" Shirley gapped at Milly.

Even Suzaku could appreciate her surprise. In the last month, Lelouch had never attended the P.E Classes, and their teacher had given up on the dark-haired teenager. He didn't even bother calling out the name to check his presence. Yes, it was that bad.

And as this did not cause a problem to his credits, no one could really force him to attend (1).

To put it in a nutshell, there was no reason that would compel Lelouch to attend the P.E Classes.

Snapping back to the present, Suzaku saw Milly glaring daggers at Shirley, clearly indignant that she had been interrupted.

"Sorry, Madame President," Shirley said meekly.

"Never mind," Milly said in her no-nonsense voice, "Lelouch had been seen defeating novices brutally in Chess," Suzaku raised an eyebrow. Normally, Lelouch had infinite patience for novices who _seriously_ wanted to learn Chess. Lelouch had the uncanny ability to spot those who were not dedicated to chess. "And last, but not least," they all leaned forward expectantly, "Lelouch had adopted his act of Icy Aloof Bossy Prince of Ashford Academy." Milly declared dramatically spreading her arms apart, and widening her eyes.

Now Suzaku blinked in confusion; he had no idea what that implied. Going by the faces of his companions, this meant serious business. He frowned a bit at his thoughts; since when did he become so adapt at knowing Lelouch Lamperouge's ways and mannerism? He really should focus on his mission, so that he could get the hell away of this lunacy.

Certain tightness in his chest told him that he wouldn't be happy when it was finally time to leave. He ignored that feeling resolutely.

"How long has it been?" Nina asked.

"Three days," Milly answered. No one bothered asking Milly how she knew that piece of information; Milly Ashford probably had spies in every corner of the Academy.

"It's that bad?" Kallen asked raising an eyebrow, and whistled appreciatively. "Normally it only lasts a day," Shirley shot her a dark look.

Come to think of it, Suzaku had only seen Lelouch briefly in the last three days.

"What are the symptoms of 'Icy Aloof Bossy Prince of Ashford Academy'?" Suzaku finally asked when all the other members started staring at each other miserably.

"You mean you don't know?" Rivalz was incredulous.

"Of course he doesn't. It's only been a month since he joined us." Shirley was quick to defend him.

"It's exactly what the title implies, Suzaku," Milly intervened, "It's almost as if he's another person (2). He becomes cold, and harder to approach. His speech pattern changes as well; his voice deepens, his tone's harsh, and his statements are always intended as commands. Funny thing is, it's hard to disobey him when he's like that, and that's why he's the Prince of Ashford Academy."

_So there was a logical reason, _Suzaku thought raising an eyebrow, "I thought that he's the Prince because he's popular."

"That's not enough," Milly deadpanned, "Rivalz is popular because of his logic-defying stupidity—"

"Madame President," Rivalz whined pitifully, his eyes shiny with tears.

"But no one will ever label him as a Prince," Milly continued, his protest ignored effortlessly.

"Uh oh," Kallen rolled her eyes. "So what's your plan?"

Milly grinned evilly, and Suzaku cringed. "Cheer him up of course!" she proclaimed, "In fact, I have the perfect plan to entertain him," she headed towards her trusty speaker system.

"That's won't work," Rivalz said quickly. Milly frowned, and glared at him. He gulped. "Lelouch is not in the campus." He squeaked.

"Then where is he?" Milly growled.

"EEP!"

-------------------------------

_Meeting. Four Seasons. 6:00pm. _

Finding a note with that particular handwriting in his shoes locker was an expected occurrence every month, but nevertheless, Lelouch could never stop the unpleasant shiver going down his back, and the growl that left his throat. He didn't need a name to know who it was, nor did he need to wonder about the day; it was always Saturday. C.C canceling their meeting two days ago suddenly made sense.

Not being able to refuse such summoning, Lelouch made sure to be in the designated spot. He forced himself to look nonchalant as he stood in front of the receptionist.

"Will you please inform Thomas Parker that Lelouch Lamperouge is here?" Lelouch asked smiling politely, but his hands were frozen and tense.

The receptionist blushed, but dutifully dialed on the phone next to her.

"Good day, sir, this is the reception. Mr. Lamperouge is here . . . Yes, of course . . . Have a nice day, sir," She hung up, "Mr. Parker asked us to allow you in, Mr. Lamperouge. Shinta will lead you to his suite."

"At your service, sir," Shinta bowed.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Lelouch proceeded to follow Shinta through the hallway, and into the escalator. Lelouch noticed that the boy kept his eyes fixed on the ground, but he only forced himself to suppress a sigh; he couldn't afford to worry about someone else's dignity, not when his was in danger of being sullied yet again.

Before long, they were before their destination.

"Dismissed," Lelouch said coldly. Shinta didn't need to be told twice.

Once he was sure he was alone in the corridor, a small part of Lelouch considered leaving, but he knocked on the door before examining such a ridiculous thought.

"Enter," a sickeningly familiar voice sounded from the other side.

Against his instincts, Lelouch opened the door, and forced himself to close it behind him. Trying to delay the confrontation, Lelouch's eyes wandered and inspected the suite, which was bathed with the soft glow of the setting sun. The entrance with furnished with elegant set of antique armchairs, surrounding a mahogany table. The bunch of white roses in the crystal vase made him smile at the irony; the whole situation does not even hold innocence, or eternal love (3).

With the first glance, he knew that there were two doors, obviously one led to the bathroom, while the other to the bedroom. Knowing that he could avoid it no longer, his eyes settled on his host. His appearance was impeccable. His blonde hair gleaming, his white suit tailored, and complimenting his tall figure. Lelouch met his light purple eyes defiantly.

"Lelouch, as always, a pleasure to see you," his voice was pleasant, but Lelouch could read the hidden meaning. "No words expressing how much you had missed me?" Before he could think of a way to avoid it, his host wrapped his arms around Lelouch, in the resemblance of a warm hug. "No words could express that, I know. I missed you, Lelouch,"

Lelouch disentangled himself gently, "Schneizel, it's been a while," his voice pleasant, betraying none of his turmoil. "Matters going smoothly for you, I hope?"

"Ah, such a thoughtful little brother," Schneizel smiled pleasantly. "Cornelia would be delighted if she were to know that; unfortunately, she still remembers you as a little loving troublemaker." A stab meant to annoy, but did little to ruffle Lelouch.

"I'm afraid she'll have to contend with keeping Rollo in line," Lelouch said quite naturally, "I'm sure Nunnally and Euphemia are as sweet as ever, so they'll never give her trouble,"

"Yes, such sweet little sisters," Schneizel raised an eyebrow, "You surprise me, Lelouch, how little you ask about them,"

"I'm sure they are quite safe and happy under Cornelia's care," Lelouch smiled, "They would have been happier still with your attention, but as an emperor, I doubt you have that much time to spare."

Schneizel's smile remained intact, but his eyes gleamed, "Then allow me to smother you with my care," he said waving his hand toward the dinner table, which Lelouch had just noticed. "You look thinner, Lelouch, you should take care of yourself. Not worrying about problems lately, are you?"

"Not at all," Lelouch allowed himself to be steered toward the indicated table. Taking his seat, Lelouch glanced at the meal; fettuccini, red wine, and green salad. He watched Schneizel as he took the seat opposite him.

"I remember that last time you didn't get the chance to tell me what you wanted to do after your graduation," Schneizel said casually, "Next year is your last, I believe,"

"It is," Lelouch agreed obligingly tasting the fettuccini. It's not his favorite, but the taste was good, however, Lelouch decided right then and there to focus on his salad. The red wine was going to remain untouched. "But you know me, Schneizel; I'm tired of being a student, so I'm not that interested in College, furthermore, no field holds my interest, and even if I join the work force, all positions will force me to follow some noble's goals."(4)

Schneizel chuckled, "You make the order of this world sound terrible, but this is understandable coming from the 99th Emperor of Britannia,"

"Schneizel," Lelouch said with a patronizing smile, "You forget, I'm Lelouch Lamperouge; Lelouch Vi Britannia is dead."

_A game that is no different from Chess, but here it's a duel between the two kings. There are no knights, or pawns to protect the almighty king. The victor is the one who lasts longer under this pretense._

"Of course," Schneizel smiled agreeably; he was not about to lose control over such a little snip. "You have been relieved of such a burden. The price is so minimal that you should be thankful."

"Naturally," it was Lelouch's turn to focus on his control. Minimal, was it?

"How about you join the Military?" Schneizel suggested. "Your capacity would allow you to pilot the Knightmares perfectly."

"The fact remains that I'll remain under someone's control." Lelouch reminded him.

"We are all under control." Schneizel's eyes narrowing slightly had given him a slight warning, but Lelouch ignored it.

"I prefer to be controlled by my disciplines." He chose to counter calmly.

Schneizel got up, and Lelouch was instantly on his guard, but nothing could have prepared him to Schneizel pulling his hair roughly, forcing him to stand up.

"Are you telling me that that your discipline controls you? I doubt that, little brother," another pull made Lelouch wince slightly, but he met Schneizel's smoldering gaze defiantly. "You forget that I was the one who had disciplined you, little Lulu,"

"Don't confuse reality with dreams, Schneizel," Lelouch snarled, "I don't recall swearing submission to you!"

The act was predictable, but Schneizel biting his shoulder still forced a yelp from Lelouch. Feeling the heat leaving his shoulder, Lelouch tried to struggle out of Schneizel's grip, but a violent pull on his hair made him wince again, and forget momentarily about struggling. Schneizel took that chance to pick him up, which reminded Lelouch to begin struggling again, even though he knew it was hopeless. Schneizel chuckled in obvious amusement.

"Lulu, you should surrender. All this hurts you more than it does me. You do know that you are weaker than I am? Or are you perhaps a masochist?"

In retaliation, Lelouch slapped and scratched his way out of Schneizel's arm.

"You fight like a girl," Schneizel mocked him. "Tell me, why fight like this, when you could just ignore my summons? You know I'll never go after you in Ashford's Academy."

"You know why," Lelouch spat at him.

"Ah," Schneizel said as if he had just remembered. "Just surrender, Lelouch,"

"Never,"

Schneizel's control broke. In a few determined strides, he was in front of Lelouch again, and with a forceful tug, the white shirt was ripped off. A slap sent Lelouch to the floor, and Schneizel did not lose time in straddling him, and forcing his pale arms above his head. Schneizel smirked, and Lelouch could only imagine how he must look to the Emperor. Lelouch had no trouble gathering all his anger unto his face.

Schneizel wasn't fazed by his scowl. Before he could gather his wits, Schneizel had his mouth on one of his nipples, which hardened instantly under the attention. Lelouch gasped, disgusted but not able to stop such a physical reaction.

"Admit it, you are a masochist; you like this," Schneizel whispered against his skin, which only made him shiver.

"No, I don't," Lelouch denied, but couldn't stop a groan from escaping when Schneizel shifted his attention to the other nipple.

"Where would you like us to do this, hmmm? The bed, perhaps? Or the shower? Or maybe on the good old fashioned floor?"

"Get off me," Lelouch growled.

"Playing hard to get? Not wise, Lelouch, you are only making me more excited if that's possible," Schneizel was making a hot trail down his stomach. As if to prove his point, Lelouch felt something hard poking his thigh.

"Sick Bastard," Lelouch hissed.

If Schneizel had not lost control before, he definitely did now. Lelouch was not sure how it had happened, but in a single move, Schneizel managed to force his hard erection in his mouth. Lelouch fought not to gag.

"You'd better do it right, or _they_ will, and believe me, I'll enjoy it," Schneizel hissed.

If Schneizel's moans were any indication, Lelouch was doing it right.

It was a long night.

--------------------------------

On Milly's orders, they have been looking for Lelouch on Saturday with no results whatsoever. If Milly would have had her way, they would have been searching for Lelouch on Sunday as well, but the Council pointed out that they had to complete to their homework, and Lelouch was probably being elusive on purpose. It was a known fact that it was impossible to find him in that case.

Even so, Suzaku couldn't help looking for Lelouch as he ate, drank, walked, worked out, and talked. His search finally ended in the afternoon.

Lelouch was on the roof.

Suzaku was not sure what made him look there, but it seemed like his instincts were correct; Lelouch liked high places.

"Hey," Suzaku ventured. Had it been anyone else, the victim jumping slightly would be expected, but seeing Lelouch jump like that—"Are you ok?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Lelouch answered, his eyes resolutely looking down at the campus. Suzaku looked, and saw a few students fooling around. While this was a peaceful activity, Suzaku found it hard to believe that Lelouch would normally busy himself with watching other people. With that thought in mind, he discreetly examined Lelouch.

With all his experience in the field, Suzaku was quite perspective of people trying to hide their own injuries (Being a classical example of such cases helped). Looking at Lelouch now, Suzaku saw all the signs of such an act. Did Lelouch get in a fight or something? Doubtful; not only Lelouch was not into physical violence, his face did not show any kind of rough treatment; the skin was as perfect as ever.

_Perfect? _Suzaku ignored the disturbing thought, and focused on the problem at hand.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

Suzaku heard the dismissal in the statement, but he refused to budge.

"You don't trust anyone, do you?"

Suzaku didn't know where that came from, but he knew it was true. Someone with such high walls would never show trust in anyone.

For a moment, Suzaku thought that Lelouch was going to snap at him, but suddenly, Lelouch leaned forward, looking exceptionally tired.

"Does trust include telling your dark secrets and fears? If it does, then your statement is correct," Lelouch didn't turn to face him, but his voice was decidedly bitter, "And I'm not about to do that anytime soon, Kururugi,"

"Lulu—"

"Don't call me that!" Lelouch snapped.

The unexpected snap almost made him take a step backwards, but he didn't. He sighed, "I'm sorry."

Lelouch didn't acknowledge that with an answer or even a glance. Ok, so he _was_ pissed off.

For a few seconds, Suzaku kept his silence, gathering his wits.

"I'm sorry," he said again sincerely. "To answer your question, trust does not imply 'telling your dark secrets and fears', it's knowing that no matter what, your trust would not be betrayed, that whoever you choose to trust, they would never turn their back on you, would be there for you, and would never judge you,"

Lelouch laughed loudly, a foreign sound to Suzaku's ears. Not only was it a rare act, but it was filled with such huge bitterness that it made him cringe.

"Ah, Kururugi, you honestly believe that such ideal trust exists? Even Knights had been known to betray their Kings, and they had been obliged by holy Oaths. What makes you think that a mere 'friend' would never judge you? Is there anyone you trust?"

"There is," Suzaku answered without hesitation.

Lelouch stared at him, "Funny thing is, Kururugi, I believe that you trust others. What I find hard to believe that there's an honest person who would trust you like that as well."

"Would you trust me?" Suzaku asked.

Lelouch remained silent.

"I trust you." Suzaku added firmly.

Lelouch now stared at him, "Idiot!" he quickly got over his surprise with a growl, "What do you claim to know about me? Why would you trust me? I wouldn't trust me!"

Suzaku smiled. "Trust is not logical."

"Trust should be based on some proof!" Lelouch's eyes flared with anger. _He's not controlling himself anymore,_ Suzaku observed. "I've never saved your life, for instance!"

"I trust that you'll save me risking your neck if the situation presents itself," and Suzaku was not joking around. Deep inside he knew that he wanted to trust Lelouch. "And anyway, if you meant me harm, you wouldn't be trying to dissuade me," Suzaku added as an afterthought.

Lelouch scowled. "What if I told you that I'm a liar?"

"Why would I believe a liar?" Suzaku countered easily.

"Ok. All right . . . It's your call. You want to trust me." It was a fairly accurate statement. "I never said that I trust you." Again, it was a true statement. "I never swore loyalty to you. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear," Suzaku deadpanned.

Lelouch huffed in obvious annoyance, and turned away from him.

It was getting dark, but Lelouch showed no signs of moving any time soon. Suzaku abided by the urge to stay by his side.

"Thank you, Suzaku," Lelouch finally whispered.

"It's nothing,"

And it wasn't, Suzaku reflected later on as he followed Lelouch to their dorms. From then on, Suzaku knew that Lelouch viewed him as friend.

And he also knew that, from the way he said his name, Lelouch would never call him 'Kururugi' again.

T.B.C

--------------------------------

A/N: Ok. This chapter was definitely M rated. I had never tried writing a scene of the kind that had transpired between Schneizel and Lelouch, but I hope it was . . . I don't know, believable? I'm also not sure if it's a common complication or not (I admit I have read one story that have such a situation), however I do know that I have added a few twists to it that would not be so common. I have left a few hints, in case you want to figure it out before I tell you ;)

Now it's time to explain my little numbers through the chapter.

1. I know that ignoring P.E lessons does not affect Lelouch's credit. I got that information from ep.1 in Code Geass (R2)

2. I find it fascinating how most of anime shows centers around a character that have double personalities/lives. Most famous example is Rurouni Kenshin.

3. Found out that White Roses means innocence/eternal love in Flowers' language. Fascinating, ne?

4. Again, I borrowed these thought from Lelouch in ep.1 in Code Geass (R2)

Today's chapter was shorter than the last, but I do appreciate your opinion. I have tried to reply to all the reviews. To those who left anonymous reviews: I appreciate your support, and I hope to be able to surpass your expectations.

As usual, please review. I'm particularly fond of this evaluation: post chapter = happy readers = reviews = happy writer = post chapter. It makes sense, does it not? :]

La Luna Negra out.


	4. Broken

Disclaimer: Come on, it's obvious by now!

**A/N:** I'm so happy. The feedback was so positive, despite of the 'incest' that transpired in the last chapter. I count on your support, and I'll do all in my power to not let you down.

**BTW**, I decided to follow the Britannian way of arranging one's name. I wish I could follow the Japanese way (Family first, and then the name), but can you imagine Lelouch introducing himself as 'Lamperouge Lelouch'? I considered following the two ways (the Japanese way, and the Britannian way respectively), but finally decided that it would be confusing.

Anyway, let's continue on with the show.

**Chapter Four:** _Broken_

"We interrupt the current show to bring you urgent news: five tourist buses were the target of Suicide Bombers. This resulted in the death of 135 Britannians, and there are no survivors. The culprits were the drivers themselves. No one had claimed responsibility, but the drivers were Japanese. The 100th Emperor of Britannian Empire, Schneizel el Britannia, is scheduled to arrive today in Tokyo, in order to resolve this tragedy which struck our sanctuary. Prime Minister of Japan, Taizō Kirihara (1), released this statement—"

The man who appeared on the screen was old; almost bald, and wrinkles marred his face, but his eyes were fierce with anger, "This heinous crime does not represent our ideals, or our wishes. They are terrorists with no purpose other than to terrorize others, and we will not allow them to roam free in our country. They will be caught, and punished for their crimes—"

The screen switched back to the Newswoman, "This just came in. Emperor Schneizel sent a visual statement, addressing the Britannians and the Japanese—"

Again, the screen switched. This time, it bore the image of the young Emperor, his blonde hair gleaming, and his light purple eyes alight with grief. An image very different indeed from the one Kirihara had presented. "This bloodshed will always be fresh in our memories. The Terrorists may have gone after my people this time, but being as blood-thirsty as they are, I'm certain that they will not hesitate to execute innocent bystanders, Japanese or Britannians. We will eliminate such existence, for we know the Chaos they represent. Aid from our side will be sent to Japan, to restore the peace once more."

Again the Newswoman appeared, this time looking quite shaken. "A minute of silence, please, for the deceased souls."

As if it was an answer to this statement, Shirley turned off the T.V, her face pale, and her fingers trembling.

For a minute, no one spoke. Suzaku looked around at the Student Council. They were all pale. He knew that he was shocked beyond words; Japanese doing this? Why? It didn't make sense, what would it accomplish? Lelouch, who was right next to him, sighed softly.

"This got him the perfect excuse," Lelouch muttered quietly.

Suzaku opened his mouth, ready to inquire about that statement, however he was distracted.

"This is the second incident," Rivalz growled, his anger so uncharacteristic that it made everyone pause. "Japanese are targeting Britannians. Why?"

"They want us to leave this country," Milly said in a tired voice. "I never knew Japanese were so intolerant of us."

"It's not like Britannians are any better." Kallen said bitterly. Everyone stared at her. "It's true. All the Japanese in this county are offered the lowest jobs and salary."

"No one is forcing them to work here," Nina piped up. Everyone's attention shifted to her unusual participation; everyone knew that Nina feared speaking up in front of a crowd. "After our generosity, they do something so underhanded like that—"

"That was no _generosity_!" Kallen snarled, and Nina backed away, clearly frightened. "Japanese who work here need the job, and that doesn't give the Britannians the right to use them like that!"

"It doesn't justify bombing the buses, killing all those people!" Shirley didn't look pale anymore; her face was red with rage. "Stop defending their acts, Kallen, they are monstrous uncultured creatures—"

"That's enough."

For a moment, no one recognized the baritone voice; it was sharp with anger, and fierce with authority.

"This is a tragedy that struck us, and we should mourn in silence," Lelouch continued scowling, "Labeling the culprits will not change the facts. They are terrorists, and criminals; they are not to be defined by their nationality. The Japanese government is efficient, and the Britannian Empire is offering their aid. We will keep our eyes open for any suspicious activity. Madame President," he addressed Milly so sharply that she jumped slightly, "Shouldn't we look up who the victims were? Some students might be related to them, and we will need to offer them our support as the Student Council."

"As expected from our vice President: quick, efficient, and paying attention to important details!" Now that she had something to do, Milly focused her energy on the task. Suzaku followed Milly's orders as she began bossing everyone around, making phone calls, and drawing up plans, but he couldn't help watching Lelouch as the other teen glared thoughtfully at the dark T.V.

The display of authority was impressive, and had put an end to the Student Council's debate about the Japanese's role in the tragedy. Suzaku couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine when he thought of Lelouch as a formidable leader against Japan, for he knew that Lelouch, being a Britannian, would never side with the Japanese.

_Will we be on opposite sides?_

He didn't like how worried the question sounded in his head. His eyes met Kallen's, and with a discreet pull on the hem of his shirt, they agreed silently on one course of action.

_We should contact them._

_--------------------------------_

Lelouch lounged on his bed, staring at the note he found in his shoes' locker. His frown deepened as he thought of the exchange that transpired between the Student Council. He knew that if he had not intervened, Suzaku's presence would have been endangered with misdirected ill intent of the other members. Now that his position was secured, Suzaku being in the Council would discourage other people from bullying him. Somehow, Lelouch had the dark feeling that Suzaku would not defend himself, even though he was more than capable of doing that.

And yet again, Lelouch had found himself defending Suzaku from the shadows, when he didn't have to.

_I trust that you'll save me risking your neck if the situation presents itself._

Lelouch cursed softly under his breath. He shouldn't worry about Suzaku, not when his situation was in such dreary circumstances. It's been a week since he had last seen Schneizel, and now the Emperor wants to meet him yet again.

That had never happened before.

Schneizel made it a habit to visit Japan two or three times a month, but he never demanded Lelouch's presence more than once a month. It was an unwritten rule that had never been broken. He could ignore the summons, but Nunnally and Euphemia, even Rollo, could be the unfortunate victims of his selfishness.

He had seen C.C three days ago, and she had assured him of their safety. She had even showed him pictures of them. He wished he could keep them, but he knew he was under constant surveillance, and if seen with those particular photos, Schneizel would wonder about their source, and he could never risk that. He could never depend on the internet, as that could be easily traced. He had to depend on his escaping and disguising skills, and on C.C's ability to hide them from unwanted eyes. He was not sure what kind of magic she used, and he was not about to ask any time soon.

Lelouch had considered killing Schneizel with his own hands, several times actually. The idea was always brushed off when he's painfully reminded of how physically challenged he was compared to Schneizel.

The note crushed in his hand, Lelouch got up to get ready; it would not do to be late.

----------------------

"Word had just come in. It was the Ryushingumi." (2)

For a few seconds, only bewildered silence met that statement. Suzaku glanced around him, and he was half-disturbed, half-relieved that the others' reaction was similar to his.

"You mean to tell me that such a small _insignificant_ group is the cause of this chaos?" Kyoshiro Tohdoh growled, and everyone winced; none of them had seen him that outraged. His black eyes glittering with suppressed rage was one thing, but seeing his right hand resting on his Japanese sword was another matter. "Who gave them the resources?"

Kōsetsu Urabe looked totally unaffected by Tohdoh's anger, "the Britannians," he hissed.

Now everyone was murmuring in disbelief, but Suzaku's surprise was far greater than his peers, "That doesn't make sense! Why would they aid in killing their own people?" he cried out desperately. Tohdoh's sudden and heavy sigh made them pay attention to their Leader.

"Is there any evidence?" Tohdoh asked.

Urabe shrugged, "Britannians will never be that stupid. There's no evidence. However, the Ryushingumi could not have gotten it from any other source. The other Japanese groups do not have that capacity."

"That doesn't mean the Britannians were the only source—" Suzaku protested.

Tohdoh glared at him, "Suzaku, have you gone soft in that school? Have you forgotten that Britannians are tyrants who do not care about the means, in order to reach their goals? However, even though the Britannian's are the source," Tohdoh continued forcing Suzaku to keep his silence, "It's also true that the Ryushingumi had turned their guns against the civilians. This will allow Schneizel to build his forces here, using the protection of 'his' people as an excuse. Damn him, using those idiots like that. It's our name that was tarnished in the eyes of the world."

But Suzaku was no longer listening any more. His mind was recalling Lelouch's statement earlier that morning.

_This got him the perfect excuse._ Lelouch had muttered.

_How much do you know, Lelouch? _Suzaku thought frantically, _could I go on trusting you, just like I promised a week ago?_

_Who are you?_

----------------------

The back of his head connected painfully with the wall, but he could not afford to worry about that; the fingers tightening around his neck made him gasp for air.

"Who is that boy?!"

Frankly, Lelouch was surprised that he was still coherent. Schneizel had practically assaulted him as soon he got in. Not even a word managed to escape as Schneizel ripped off his pants and underwear. With a start, he realized that Schneizel was naked from below the waist. His mind shocked enough as it was, made him realize too late what Schneizel intended to do.

The sudden thrust in his entrance tore him apart. He could already feel warmth slithering down his legs, but the combined strangling and the sudden forced entry made him pass out for a few minutes.

When he regained consciousness again, he was dismayed to realize that Schneizel still had him against the wall, thrusting in him, his length completely sheathed. The unwanted physical pleasure was what probably woke him up. He could not control the pleasure of the continuous pressure against his spot. He released a moan, and with it the disgust settled in. He knew he could not control it, but that did not mean he had to give in. He bit his lips.

Finally, Schneizel tensed, and feeling the powerful release against his inner walls made Lelouch relax as well. It was over . . . at least for five minutes.

"So, who is that boy?" Schneizel was still resting rather heavily on him, and he was still inside. He'd better answer quickly or they were not going anywhere any time soon.

But Lelouch would be damned if he ever let go of his pride.

"Which boy would you mean?" he taunted casually, "He must be pretty special if his presence was enough to shatter your control."

The sharp slap against his cheek was expected, but not the words that assaulted him afterwards, "He is a filthy monkey, I know that. I'll never allow a prince of Britannia to befriend such commoner; much less I would allow _my_ little brother to have any friends." Lelouch's eyes widened and Schneizel smirked sadistically, "Bewildered, dear Lulu? I know that you don't trust any of them, but that boy is special, isn't he? You forget, little Lulu, you are my property. He's not allowed to touch you. He is to stay away from you. Is that clear?"

"What is it to you?" Lelouch got over his frozen shock pretty quickly, "We have a deal. I'm all yours whenever you want. I'll keep your perverse desire satisfied and you'll stay away from Cornelia, Rollo, Nunnally, and Euphemia! Suzaku has nothing to do with this."

"You want me to go after Suzaku, then?" Schneizel asked, rising his eyebrows.

"Suzaku is in Ashford's Academy," Lelouch said immediately.

"I have my contacts." Schneizel reminded him in obvious amusement.

"He can defend himself." Lelouch said quickly, "Besides, Suzaku is not worth your time. He may trust me, but I'll never trust him. You made sure that I'll never trust anyone again!" Lelouch spat at him.

Schneizel grinned, "Exactly. You are nothing, Lelouch. I pay your school, your clothes, and your food. You pay me back with your body. That would make you my private prostitute. No one else is allowed to touch you," a finger ran down his cheek. "No one else wants you," Lelouch felt the member inside him harden. "No one else will have the pleasure of seeing you broken. You are so beautiful, Lelouch, especially when tears brighten your eyes," as if to prove his point, Lelouch felt a sting behind his eyes. "Ah there it is. I wish I'm as good as Clovis when it comes to painting, or I would have drawn your face long ago. Here—" without warning, Schneizel stood up, and with a single movement, and painful cry from Lelouch, Schneizel had Lelouch's back against his chest. Ignoring Lelouch's pitiful protests, he dragged him to the large mirror, with the obvious idea of making the young youth look at the image they represented.

But Lelouch was not to be forced to face it easily; after all, he always avoided looking at his naked body for at least a week after each encounter. Schneizel seemed to be able to read his thoughts, as when he tried to squirm away, Schneizel grabbed his chin, and made him look before he could shut his eyes. Now he couldn't close them.

Through the encounter, Schneizel had ripped off his shirt as well, so now he was naked except for his white socks, which only added to his humiliation. His pale body was covered with bites and scratches, his hair disheveled, bright imprint against his throat, and blood smeared against his thighs. Only his face was completely unblemished. Apparently, Schneizel knew how to control the force of his slaps so that they'd never leave bruises. Ironically, it was his eyes that threw him off.

They were, as Schneizel had pointed out, bright with tears, but there was such a broken look to them that shook Lelouch's core violently.

"Ah, so you see it now," Schneizel whispered in his ear. "You are broken, Lulu, and all the pieces are mine. You always amuse me when you come in, looking 'strong', only to break you later. See why I give you such a long break? I would never be satisfied by once a month, but the pleasure I draw from seeing you break every month, over and over again, makes all the patience worth it. But then you had to go, and let that boy closer. That's why it was so easy to break you this time."

Lelouch could only watch as his tears went down, unable to stop them. He watched as Schneizel raped him over and over again. The physical pain was nothing now. His body was numb. His eyes glued to the continuous trail of tears, watching as he broke over and over again.

--------------------------

Coming back from the meeting, Suzaku's mood was dark. No dared to venture near him, as such drastic change was alarming. He saw Kallen glance at him, but he ignored her. He entered the Student Council's room, and a quick scan told him that his target was not there.

"Where's Lelouch?" Suzaku asked Milly fiercely.

Milly looked startled, "I didn't see him all day, which is weird, as this was _his_ idea. Hey, wait, where are you—" but Suzaku had already left.

"Suzaku!" Kallen called him, but he didn't stop.

He made his way straight to the roof.

He never expected that Lelouch would not be there. The absence worried him, and with a burst of energy, he began looking over the academy for the missing youth.

He needed answers.

And he had to make sure that Lelouch was okay.

T.B.C

-----------------------------------

A/N: Maybe I should change the genre to Angst? Ugh. Ok, here are a few explanations.

1- I know Kirihara's role in Code Geass. However, taking Japan's independency into account, I find it plausible that Kirihara's influence and wealth will make him a good candidate after Kururugi's death. That's why I made him the current Prime Minister in this story.

2- Ryushingumi: totally made up, as I'm sure you have figured it out. I didn't want to use any of the names we know in Code Geass. They have such a minor role that I didn't want to bring down a good name.

3- Schneizel/Lelouch: I never expected to write such a scene again, but I had to find a way to make Lelouch move. Yes, hard to believe, as Lelouch is a vindictive soul in the Anime, but here, please bear in mind that he was under Schneizel's influence since he was 12 years old boy.

Please tell me what you think. I know the chapter is shorter than usual, but I found this to be a good spot to stop, and I didn't want to be late in providing you with an update.

Please review? Pretty Please? :]

La Luna Negra out.


	5. The Trigger

**Disclaimer:** Not mine T.T except the plot that is.

**A/N:** This is incredible. When I first began this story, I had my doubts about it. After all, this is my first story in a long while (Two years?), and it is exceptionally different from any other story that I've ever written (Anime/Rape/Boy-love). In short, I had many reasons to be anxious about this, and your reaction to this story was wonderful. I really can't thank you enough for such support.

Sorry for the long ramble, but I had to acknowledge your support some way =D For now, let the show begin.

**Chapter Five:** _The Trigger_

Suzaku was going mad with worry.

No, let's rephrase that.

_He was going to maim him._

People practically flew out of his way as he marched down the corridors.

It was freaking _Friday_ already. And no one had seen hide or hair of the guy.

Was anyone worried?

Oh no, Heavens no! Apparently, pulling such stunts was expected, and no one questioned such absence anymore. It's been a while since he had last done that, students said quite cheerfully.

So the students were not worried. Shouldn't the teachers be stricter about this kind of behavior? Suzaku was about ready to raise high alert throughout the Academy, but Milly held him back.

"He's probably gambling," she tried to sooth him. But that only made his fear build up; what if one of the local Yakuza attacked him because of the gambling?! Unaware of the effect of her words, she continued, "As long as he doesn't miss any exams, and keep his grades exceptional, the teachers will not nag about him. Stop acting like he's a damsel in distress," she finally advised.

No, Lelouch was not a damsel in distress, but he was probably in trouble. And Suzaku had to find him.

Finding Lelouch Vi Britannia did not even cross his mind as he raced through Ashford Academy.

Why the heck did the Academy need to be so HUGE?!

Exasperated, he decided that he would acquire a leash to place around Lelouch's neck as soon as he's found.

After terrorizing a few students with frantic questions, he finally decided to settle down in the Cafeteria. He figured that he didn't have any lead, and Lelouch might be hungry, so maybe he's there, eating peacefully. With that in mind, he entered the crowded place, only to give up after a few seconds. It was simply impossible to find Lelouch anywhere.

Yes, he actually decided to give up after seven days of continuous searching.

Only Shirley looked as worried at him, but he knew that she didn't bother looking for the missing teenager.

It was a known fact that Lelouch was quite adapt at sneaking around. Even Suzaku knew that. Last time they had looked for him, his missing act had only lasted a day, not a week. Although Suzaku had to admit that his worry had started when Lelouch missed two days of classes.

Sitting down wearily, he looked down at his sandwich. Maybe he should have asked for three sandwiches? He was starving.

"Any luck?" A familiar voice asked him.

"No," Suzaku didn't even move his head to acknowledge Shirley as she sat down next to him.

"Why are you so worried about him, anyway?" her tone was laced with curiosity.

"Why shouldn't I be worried?" Suzaku countered irritably, "If you had disappeared, I would have been looking for you,"

Shirley shook her head, "That's different," she intoned, "Anyone would be worried if I disappear, because that's unusual. As for Lelouch, he's not actually disappearing as much as usual. It's normal for him to be absent."

"He'd disappear without telling anyone about his whereabouts?" Suzaku snapped.

"Yes," Shirley answered simply. Suzaku deflated, surprised.

"Wha—"

"If you live on your own, and have no guardians, who would you inform about your movements?"

"He has no guardians?" Suzaku asked startled. "But—"

"Lelouch's history is not known, really," Shirley shrugged, "We know his parents died recently, and that he has no siblings. He was not sent to an orphanage as he was old enough to be on his own when his parents died. He's wealthy enough to be here, but he's what you'd consider a commoner among the Britannians."

"Why didn't he tell us so that we wouldn't worry?" Suzaku asked, frowning.

Shirley smiled sadly, "Because he believes we will not worry. And we will not make him feel guilty by telling him that we do worry. We know he'll be okay."

"We?" Suzaku asked carefully.

Shirley grinned, "The Student Council, of course,"

Shirley's attempt to reassure him worked for while, allowing him to actually pay attention in the classes. However, worry started to grow again late in the afternoon. Maybe he should put a tracing device on Lelouch's clothes? That would work better than the leash; he didn't look forward to explaining his reasons (Yes, he was seriously considering the use of the leash).

"Hey!"

Watching Kallen stomp in his direction caused him slight trepidation, but he stood his ground as he waited for the storm to arrive.

And arrive it did.

"Come with me! NOW!"

Kallen proceeded to pull him into the nearest classroom. Luckily, it was empty, but Suzaku had a nasty feeling that she would have chased any student lurking there pretty effectively.

Watching Kallen locking the only available escape route did not just cause him to feel claustrophobic, not at all.

Kallen glared at him, "You have to pull your act together, Suzaku, or I'll be forced to report you."

Her hidden meaning instantly clear, Suzaku narrowed his eyes, "Have _you_ made any progress?"

Kallen frowned, "No, I didn't, but—"

"Do you have any clues?" Suzaku interrupted quickly.

"What does this have to do—" Kallen looked ready to bite his head off.

"No, you don't," Suzaku said loudly. "Do you have another plan?"

"Suzaku—"

"Then we are in the same boat." Suzaku glared at her. "We are keeping our eyes and ears open here. That was the plan. Do you plan on questioning people about the Prince? Here's a clue, Kallen, our only conclusion is that the Prince would be depressed and downtrodden. There are no pictures, so we could not go by appearance. We could safely assume that his eyes are blue or light purple. Hair could not be determined, because they have all the colors possible in the Royal Family, including purple! The only thing we know for sure is that he's seventeen. Have you seen anyone who's a likely candidate? No, there's none. It's possible that he's not even here. So, all we could do is observe. What are you going to report to Tohdoh, exactly?" here, he glared at her meaningfully.

Kallen glared at him, before sighing heavily, "You care too much about him," she whispered.

"What are you—" Suzaku sounded confused.

"He's Britannian," Kallen said sadly.

"I fail to see your point," Suzaku said, his heart pounding hard, "You are Britannian as well,"

"No, I'm not!" Kallen growled, "I'm Japanese!"

"Kallen—"

"I was born here, Suzaku, and I don't approve of the Britannians' policy," Kallen said her eyes flashing, "Therefore, I'm Japanese, Lelouch is Britannian, and you are Japanese. You are here for the mission. Don't get too attached."

And she stormed out of the classroom.

-------------

Suzaku's feet were heavy as he made his way up the stairs. Not for the first time, Suzaku wondered about the sadistic architect who thought it a good idea to build a four-story building designed for dormitories, with no elevators. What was the big idea?

It was Saturday's night and still no sign of Lelouch.

Suzaku sighed heavily, and headed to make a final check of Lelouch's dormitory for the day. When he opened the door, he prepared himself for the usual disappointment, but the sight that met his eyes made his anxiousness reach a new level.

The dormitory was dark, but the light of hallway was enough to allow him to spot Lelouch lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Suzaku did not like his appearance one bit. A frown marred his features and his clothes were slightly rumbled. His eyes, normally alight with intelligence and superiority, were now blank and cold.

Lelouch did not acknowledge his presence. For a moment, Suzaku was unsure of his next step, but he finally decided that following instincts was what he did best. With that determination, Suzaku stepped in the room, and closed the door behind him.

The room was totally dark now, and a heavy silence settled.

Several times, Suzaku opened his mouth, only to jam it shut rapidly. What could he say? While instinct helped him take the first step, now he was unsure of how continue. What if Lelouch asked him to leave? Would he listen?

"What is it, Suzaku?"

Suzaku winced. Lelouch's voice was as blank and cold as his eyes. It was not welcoming. It was meant to push him away.

_Push him away—_

"I was worried about you," a simple honest confession.

Short silence, "There's no need to worry. I'm here, complete and whole."

Suzaku's control almost snapped. He was about ready to rage about how sick and worried he was about Lelouch. He was about scold Lelouch for disappearing like that. He was about to demand an apology from Lelouch.

But then he stopped, Shirley's words coming back to him, unbidden.

_Because he believes we will not worry. And we will not make him guilty by telling him that we do worry. We know he'll be okay._

Suzaku smiled, "I'm glad," he said, allowing the smile to be heard in his voice. _Thank you, Shirley._

Suzaku could sense that Lelouch tensed, and he was slightly amused to realize that if the room was illuminated, he wouldn't have noticed Lelouch's mood shift. Perhaps he relied too much on his sight?

Seconds ticked by and still Lelouch did not send him away. Suzaku still stood by the door, as Lelouch had not accepted his presence yet.

"Were any exams assigned during my absence?"

Was this his way of inviting Suzaku? Why the lights were still off?

"No, there wasn't." Suzaku answered. "May I turn on the light?"

"No," Lelouch answered shortly. "You are tired. You should go and sleep."

"I'm not tired." Suzaku lied. "I'll sit down and keep you company,"

With a few steps, Suzaku sat down on the floor, the bed's board against his back.

"What are you—" Lelouch began, his voice slightly agitated.

"I want to help you, Lelouch," Suzaku interrupted quietly.

Lelouch fell silent. Suzaku began counting in his head. If Lelouch did not answer before he reached 60, then he would leave, and never question Lelouch's behavior.

He reached 30.

"You can't help me, Suzaku," Lelouch whispered.

His throat tightened, and Suzaku felt an additional stab of worry. What was wrong? Why couldn't he help? Was it that serious?

But he had already known that it was serious. He knew that trivial matters wouldn't bother Lelouch, not as the current situation seemed to warrant. Lelouch was in trouble. But what was it?

"Is it because you don't trust me?" Suzaku asked carefully.

"No, it is not that," Lelouch answered, sounding as if he was weighing his words. "It is because you are a student. You do not have enough influence."

Suzaku frowned. "I could be a good friend. I could watch your back."

Silence fell again, but Suzaku heard Lelouch sit up. He was sure that Lelouch had rested his forehead on the tips of his fingers in a clear show of concentration. Not for the first time, he wondered if he was stalking Lelouch; knowing such small such gestures was not normal . . . was it?

Waiting, Suzaku wondered just what he had just gotten himself into. Wasn't he questioning Lelouch's motives and goals a week ago? Lelouch's observation after the last attack on the Britannian left a lot of questions unanswered. But—

He trusted Lelouch. The other teen had not broken his trust. In fact, Suzaku knew that Lelouch had actually protected him from the students countless times by now. When they had first met, Lelouch had suggested he joins the Student Council, thus giving him a higher standing that protected him from the bullying. Whenever arguments erupted about the Japanese, Lelouch was there to quell them. And didn't he last time stop the Student Council from blaming the Japanese of the Terrorists attacks?

And Lelouch was Britannian; he didn't have to help Suzaku.

And Suzaku still had not repaid his protection.

So, he was going to help Lelouch no matter what!

Such thoughts chased each other through Suzaku's head as he waited for Lelouch's reaction to his last statement.

Lelouch finally sighed, "Can I ask you for an advice?"

"Sure," However, Suzaku had his doubts; Lelouch was smarter than him, so why would he need his opinion?

"If someone was threatening your family, would you protect them, and sacrifice yourself if necessary?"

The question was of such an unexpected nature that Suzaku answered quite honestly, and without thinking it thorough.

"Yes."

A moment of silence, during which Suzaku used to think about Lelouch's question, but then the other boy distracted him.

"Thank you, Suzaku,"

Suzaku blinked, completely caught off guard. Lelouch's voice was unlike he had ever heard up to that point; it was quiet, peaceful, and satisfied. For a minute, he sat there, wondering why he felt as if he had just provoked a series of events that would come in the near future, as if he had pressed a flashing red 'START' button.

He opened his mouth, ready to inquire about Lelouch's odd behavior, but then he heard it.

Peaceful breathing—

Lelouch had fallen asleep.

_Damn!_

--------------------------

Suzaku sighed heavily, and glanced at the cause of his troubles.

Yes, you have guessed it: Lelouch Lamperouge.

When the fact that Lelouch had reappeared sank in, Suzaku had decided that he would keep his eyes on the other teenager. And thus began the official stalking.

The next day (Sunday), Lelouch had allowed Milly to bully him into finishing the paperwork, all the while listening to her complaints. Suzaku suspected that Lelouch did not want to get on her wrong side, what with them being so close to Halloween. It was actually next Saturday.

And Lelouch was going to be the prime victim.

So Suzaku did want to warn Lelouch that obeying her orders through the next week would not save him, but Milly had already issued her orders against that; she said she had her ways of knowing, and he wasn't going to challenge that.

But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to try subtly.

He chose lunchtime to alert Lelouch of the danger threatening his dignity.

"A word of advice; if you don't stop sulking, Milly will use that an excuse to do something outrageous," Suzaku said casually, careful to appear to the world as an innocent teenager, who was only interested in his sandwich (which was not difficult, as these sandwiches were particularly delicious).

"I do not _sulk_," Lelouch said evenly, but obviously offended, "I was thinking—"

"Which you do all the time," Suzaku interrupted cheerfully, "but to Milly—to most people actually, thinking that much is sulking—"

Lelouch's eyebrow twitched slightly. "What is she planning now?" he asked finally.

"Can't tell you," Suzaku was positively grinning now, "She threatened me with bodily harm—"

"And I suppose you can't defend yourself," Lelouch said, sarcasm loud and clear.

Suzaku's eyes widened comically, "Lelouch, I can't use violence against a girl! That's just despicable!"

"Whatever you say," And Suzaku knew that Lelouch was not deceived by that single reason (Although it was somewhat true). Milly was scary, no one had enough resolve to stand up to her. Suzaku watched as Lelouch's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "The plan's goal is to cheer me up?" he asked slowly.

"I can't tell you," Suzaku focused on his sandwich completely, but a quick glance confirmed that Lelouch was glaring at his meal, as if it was its fault.

The lazy atmosphere was shattered on Monday, and it was Suzaku's fault. Now that Lelouch knew that there was no escaping from Milly on Halloween, he apparently decided that it was not worth it to endure anymore paperwork, and decided to go back to gambling with fervor. Rivalz, his partner in crime, did not actually want to escape from Milly, so Lelouch was on his own. The amethyst-eyed teenager did not seem to mind at all. Suzaku tried to accompany him, but Lelouch raised an eyebrow and asked, quite seriously mind you, "Do you swear that you will not report any illegal acts that you witness?"

And Suzaku was hard pressed to disagree.

"Exactly," Lelouch had smiled at him, almost fondly.

Which gave Lelouch enough time to escape as Suzaku stood there, gaping.

_He smiled? Isn't he supposed to be incapable of moving the required muscles to do that? _Ugh! What was wrong with him?!

Suzaku began to move, confident that he was faster than Lelouch could ever hope to be, but a sudden pull on his collar alerted him of an immediate danger.

Milly was grinning evilly at him, "Since you saw fit to warn him, you'll bear the consequence, dear Suzaku,"

"But—" Suzaku began feebly.

"Work! Now!"

"Yes, Madame!"

And thus stalking Lelouch that day was shot down. Suzaku determined that he would not let go of him the next day.

But he was even less successful on the next two days. Suzaku was sure that Lelouch was not fast, but he sure knew how to choose his escape routes. Suzaku always made sure that Lelouch was within his sight, but a few seconds of distraction, and Lelouch would be gone.

Although Lelouch had given him the slip three times already, he always checked on him at night, and he always found him sleeping there peacefully. Being reassured of his safety, Suzaku had been able to sleep the last few days.

He didn't want to contemplate what's going on within him.

Kallen words were beginning to develop the bad habit of resounding in his ears, completely uninvited. _You are here for the mission. Don't get too attached._ Suzaku had developed the useful ability of blocking it.

On Thursday, he received a discrete note from Kallen, and he sighed heavily. He shouldn't even try to follow Lelouch today.

There was a meeting.

-------------------------

"The Knights are in position,"

"The Kings are ready,"

"The pawns are moving,"

"Let the match begin,"

T.B.C

-----------------

A/N: *Blink* this wasn't my intention, not at all. Having Suzaku as the center of a whole chapter was not intentional, but Lelouch's constant movements were hard to follow =D At least Suzaku had been given the opportunity to show that he wasn't totally clueless. Or maybe he is? .

Please tell me what you think. Your encouragement/criticism is highly needed. Even if all you have to say is "Good chapter" or "Boring!"

I really wish you'd press the review button. I really want to know your opinion.

Until next week,

La Luna Negra out.


	6. Confusion

**Disclaimer:** If mine the anime wouldn't have been that popular :3

**Let the show begin**

**Chapter Six:** _Confusion_

_If someone was threatening your family, would you protect them, and sacrifice yourself if necessary?_

Suzaku's frown deepened as he recalled that particular question. It was such a worrisome question on many levels. Suzaku was told by Shirley that Lelouch had no family, so what was he talking about? Putting that aside, who was threatening them? And the last issue that sent cold shivers down Suzaku's spine, what did Lelouch mean by sacrificing himself? Did that include dying?

_You are incurably stupid, Suzaku,_ he growled to himself. _How could you answer 'yes' to that?!_

His answer had been honest, but the question should have alarmed him into silence.

Then again, he knew that Lelouch wouldn't change his mind about anything. So why had he asked Suzaku? Could he have talked Lelouch out of whatever he was planning?

Clenching his fist, he decided to refocus on the current situation.

"Someone had taken care of the Ryushingumi," Urabe stated.

As Urabe was the Head of Intelligence Collection, no one questioned the authentication of that statement, but nonetheless, it was met with surprise.

"The Britannians?" Kallen asked, though doubt was obvious in her voice.

"No," Urabe answered firmly, "This is not the Britannians style. It would have been easy for them to expose Ryushingumi, as they were the suppliers of the bombs, but if punishing them was their goal, they would have exposed them with great publicity, and would have made an example of them. But in this case, their base was destroyed, and the members had disappeared."

Suzaku frowned, "You think it's the Japanese government's work?"

"They would have announced it as well, to show the Britannians that they are more than capable of protecting Japan," Urabe pointed out quickly.

"Why would the other Japanese factions get rid of them, then?" Tamaki, Head of Recruitment, argued loudly, "What Ryushingumi had done was the wrong way to go about it, but why would they destroy an ally against Britannia?"

"That would suggest a third presence that do not approve of using such means to attack Britannia, and believe that they ought to be punished," Suzaku concluded.

The meeting had demanded the presence of all the Head Commanders, but Suzaku was not intimidated; he had always participated in this kind of meetings per Tohdoh's orders. Kallen was there because Naoto Kouzuki, Head of the Secret Corps, demanded her presence in such meetings.

"That's not the only problem; reports indicate that the other groups' activities have become nonexistent, and we could not monitor them anymore," Urabe announced gravely. "In fact, we knew that some of them had decided to follow the Ryushingumi's lead, and we had implemented plans to stop them, however, someone else had got there before we could."

"Who are they?" Tohdoh asked grimly.

"We are still working on it," Urabe answered regretfully.

"You've got to be kidding!" Tamaki shouted indignantly, "As Japan's Purification Front, we are the most influential organization! How could someone come and go without our notice?!"

"They know about us, and we know nothing about them, wonderful!" Rakshata, head of Development and Research Department, drawled, sounding totally unconcerned.

"They'll probably contact us soon," Tohdoh said sternly, "They are making sure that the result is known to us. They'll want to introduce themselves,"

Suzaku did not like the sound of that at all.

-----------------------------

"—as you are now aware, we have sufficient evidence that makes you out as the sole responsible of the trafficking of Refrain through Tokyo, which would be enough to reserve your funds and properties at the very least—"

"But that's not true!" the noble screeched in obvious panic as he stared at the screen displaying 'voice only' ominously, "I have been following orders from the Emperor—"

"You are the scapegoat, so you'll be the one to be punished," the voice was sinister, filled with dark amusement at his expense, "You are barely enough to fulfill the role of a pawn. I'm not asking for much—"

"You are blackmailing me!" the noble was sweating, fighting and failing miserably as he tried to control his voice. The documents had appeared suddenly on his personal computer, and his eyes widened as he examined photos, copies of original documents, bank accounts, and incriminating signatures. He had ordered his most trusted IT team to discover its source, with no apparent success. His frenzied nerves were shot to hell when the computer's screen became black with 'Voice Only' flashing across it. The voice did not have to point out the danger of the IT team overhearing their conversation, for he quickly ordered the IT team to back off the connection. His panic reached unimaginable levels as he listened to the voice that would hunt his nightmares later on.

"I am blackmailing you," the voice didn't bother denying. "Therefore you have no choice. As I have said the deal is simple."

"You are going to expose me anyway!" the noble shrieked hysterically.

"If exposing you had been my goal then I would have done so already," the voice no less sinister, but certain laziness had crept in, "I'm not asking for money, Lord Guivel, the only price I'm asking for is that you continue your usual business, except you'll give me the Refrain for free."

"That's a losing business!" Mr. Guivel shook his head frantically.

"You could always stop buying the Refrain," the voice suggested in a bored voice.

Guivel gritted his teeth. If he stopped buying Refrain, he will lose the Emperor's favor, and his clan's standing in the court. He could never go against the Emperor's orders. As his blackmailer said, he was the scapegoat, and even if he was able to testify in his own defense, it would be his word against the Emperor's. He would probably be murdered on the spot. But buying Refrain only to give it way—

"— but that would only make your situation more difficult," the stranger continued thoughtfully, "You could tell the Emperor about me, making you the incompetent fool who wasn't even able to cover his own tracks. He may go after me, but only after striping away all your privileges; the Emperor is not exactly known for being merciful. Really, Lord Guivel, choosing to give me the Refrain and to pay its usual expenses would be the wisest move. And just to clear up your situation further—" his voice became a sinister dangerous tenor, "Do not even attempt to sabotage me, or you'll assure your downfall, and it would be yours alone. The next shipment should be here next Tuesday. I will send you my instructions."

And the ominous display disappeared only to be replaced by the usual image on the desktop. For a few seconds, he stared at his computer in horror. But then, abruptly, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare, he picked the phone up, and dialed a familiar number.

"Trace him!" he growled in the phone, before hanging up sharply.

He scowled fiercely. He had to find him before Tuesday; otherwise he was doomed for the rest of his life.

Five minutes later, the phone rang. Guivel let it ring three times before picking it up.

"L-Lord Guivel," the poor soul on the other line was shivering violently, though Guivel was only able to hear his trembling voice, "There's nothing to trace."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Guivel barked his heart pounding.

"That was a recorded message found in your computer's file, and programmed to turn on in that moment. The file was created three days ago."

Guivel's eyes widened; the blackmailer actually timed the whole thing as if they were actually conversing?! He had not noticed anything abnormal.

"Investigate the breach in the security!" Guivel roared, now seriously pissed off. Honestly, did he have to tell them what to do?!

"T-that's the thing," the technician gulped in obvious fear, "We had checked everything, but the system shows no irregularity, no breach—totally untouched by outsiders."

"You mean this is an inside job?" Guivel was livid; such treachery was unheard of within his organization.

"No, it was not, unless he has all the passwords, and direct access to your personal computer, my Lord," the technician's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Check everything, and reinforce the security," Guivel snapped, before hanging up the phone sharply.

But it was already too late.

The damage was done, and he would have to bear the consequences.

The deal was not that difficult to follow after all.

-----------------------------

"What?!"

Lelouch could not control his voice at all. Milly had just cornered him, and had targeted his very dignity, pride, and masculinity.

"You want me to repeat my instructions yet again? What a hassle!" but Milly was grinning, and not showing any sign of being frustrated. In fact, she was obviously and immensely enjoying herself.

Lelouch looked around, beseeching help. He didn't bother looking at Rivalz; the guy was a traitor when it came down to Milly. Nina was ignored as well; she was probably looking at her complicated formulas, the geek. He didn't even consider Kallen; she had probably plotted this with Milly in the first place.

That left him with only two options.

He looked at Shirley, hoping against hope that she would be able to help somehow, and would not be reduced to considering his last option. Shirley looked at him with watery eyes, her lips trembling, and he felt guilty that he even looked at her.

Hopelessly, he looked at Suzaku, and his worst fears were confirmed.

The fool was actually grinning at him.

"You probably look stunning in a dress," he said cheekily.

"He does!" Milly exclaimed happily, and Kallen smirked.

"But this is different!" Lelouch snapped. "Last time, everyone was dressed as the opposite sex! And this is a contest that involves my abilities to disguise myself as a girl! And you want me to choose the costume on my own so that no one will know who I am. That means shopping! And I only have today and tomorrow to figure the costume out! Come on, guys!" against his better judgment, he tried to win Rivalz and Suzaku to his side, "This is a low blow! You know what I'm talking about!"

"Relax, Lelouch," Rivalz said happily.

"It's all in good fun!" Suzaku actually looked excited about the whole idea of Halloween.

Lelouch groaned, and turned sharply to Milly.

"What's in it for me?" he demanded.

"You mean if you are not discovered by anyone?" Milly asked, and Lelouch nodded, "Well, you'd better not be discovered, for your own good, as you'll be royally embarrassed."

"Aren't we all going to be disguised?" Lelouch asked, trying to reason with her, "What if I pretend to be a girl in a guys' costume?"

All the girls rolled their eyes.

"No girl would do that!" Kallen said indignantly, but then she reconsidered, "Wait, maybe I would—"

"Impossible for you, what would you do about your boobs?" Rivalz was stupid enough to point that out.

He was forced to meet the opposite wall quite intimately and violently. That must have hurt.

Lelouch decided not to press his luck, and to resign to the fact he could never win in a contest against Milly's orders.

-----------------------------

"This is impossible!"

Urabe's indignant yell through the department was enough to make everyone pause. All the eyes focused on his figure as he stared at the screen of his computer.

"There's been a breach!" Urabe snapped. "Trace it!"

"What—"

"How—"

"No time to answer the W5 questions!" Urabe growled as he examined the documents that had appeared in front of his eyes. "Work on it now!"

As hustle and bustle grew louder in the department, Urabe knew in the pit of his stomach that this was an outstanding job.

_They'll want to introduce themselves, _Tohdoh had said.

_What an introduction, _Urabe was impressed despite himself as he examined the documents.

-----------------------------

It was Saturday's night.

_I love Internet Shopping, _Lelouch thought gratefully as he made his way through the packed Great Hall. It was the only reason he was able to save himself from the humiliation of asking for girly costumes. And express delivery was a plus.

By late afternoon, he had discovered that everyone had made sure that their costume was a secret as per Milly's orders. As the whole thing was prepared and run by Milly, everyone knew that they would have more fun following her orders.

He was not sure what Milly had in store for him, but he made it his job not to get caught. So, he had to go with a style that he wouldn't normally choose. But he also knew that he had to choose something that would not embarrass him, as he knew Milly would probably make him go on stage in front of everyone in case he's not discovered (She would want to humiliate as him anyway).

With such tight restrictions, he chose his current costume. He had considered wearing a Victorian dress, but decided that it would be considered his style. He never considered parading as a Princess, or a Fairy, or an Angel. He considered going as a devil or an evil witch, but the costumes were either too short, or too revealing, or too tight, or all together. All of the other costumes were shot down because of those characteristics actually.

"A Kimono?"

"That's unusual."

"It's beautiful!"

"So elegant—"

And it was. Lelouch knew that it would stand out, but he also knew that no one would connect such a traditional dress to him. The cloth was purple, with white lilies adorning it. The obi (the belt) was a lighter shade of purple and tied at his back. His costume was complete with the tabi (split socks), and geta (traditional footwear). His hair was beneath a wig that was full of pins and a number of accessories he couldn't fathom their purpose. His upper half of his face was covered by a simple purple mask. He used black contact lenses in order to disguise the color of his eyes.

He couldn't have even hoped to put the whole thing together (the Kimono was a nightmare), but Sayoko Shinozaki had helped him out. As one who had served among the Royal Staff, Schneizel had sent her to Japan disguising herself as the maid the Ashford Family, and meant to keep a close eye on Lelouch. However, that was his mistake, as Sayoko's loyalties lay with Lelouch.

That also conveniently assured him that Sayoko would not tell Milly about his choice.

But anyway, it was hell walking in the Kimono and the geta were not exactly comfortable, far from it. He took small steps, and kept his head down. Ok, so he had managed to nail the 'shy and delicate' look successfully. Hopefully, everyone was going to ignore him.

Apparently everyone did not include stubborn fools.

"Do you need help? My mother used to complain a lot whenever she had to wear a Kimono," a very familiar voice said pleasantly from behind.

Forcing down a sigh, Lelouch turned to face him. "It was not a wise choice, but I thought it would be interesting," Lelouch answered, careful to keep his tone as girly as possible. He couldn't bring himself to make his voice high-pitched, so he had to settle for soft and delicate tones. If he could fool the Student Council members, then he should be safe. Suzaku had not even tried to change his voice. But if he alerted Suzaku of the fact that he knew his identity, he would expose his own identity as well. He examined Suzaku's costume. "A Knight of Rounds?" he asked for confirmation, raising an eyebrow. It was as ironic as Lelouch's costume.

The outfit was distinguishable. Navy-blue cape adorned with golden lines, partially hiding the white suite with the black turtleneck, also adorned with the golden lines. The black boots looked way more comfortable than Lelouch's geta. "I believe this is the color of the Knight of Seven," Lelouch continued thoughtfully.

"It is," Suzaku answered, his mask not hiding the smile. "I was actually thinking of wearing the men's kimono, but I thought it would not be well received."

"It's not that bad around here," Lelouch lied, and his hidden thoughts were proven when some prude pushed him roughly with a hateful "—imitating those uncultured monkeys!" To his immense embarrassment, Suzaku caught him around the waist, steadying him. Suzaku was gritting his teeth, and Lelouch felt Suzaku's arms tighten around him in obvious anger, and . . . dare he say protectiveness?

"Thank you," Lelouch extracted himself from the embrace, to his added mortification, blushing slightly. Then he spotted the scowl, and the fact that Suzaku was still following the offender with hard emerald eyes. "Don't." he added simply.

Suzaku blinked, and looked down at Lelouch (The boots added to Suzaku's height, while the geta were almost flat).

"He pushed you," he said indignantly. "Such scum—"

"Leave it," Lelouch said thinking that it would only draw attention to them, and Milly would not be happy if a fist-fight ruined the Ball. Besides, fighting to protect a guy? Suzaku will be embarrassed when he finds out Lelouch's identity; they'd better keep it between themselves. "He's not worth it."

Suzaku, being the stubborn fool he was, opened his mouth to argue, but a sudden familiar _Bing Bong _resounded, and everyone stopped to listen. Sudden focused flashlight illuminated Milly's figure. Loud wolf-whistles erupted from the male population. She was stunning, standing there in her skimpy red devil outfit, complimenting every curve.

"Happy Halloween, everyone!" Milly said cheerfully, "This is my order as the President of the Student Council, so listen carefully. You came here alone, without exposing your costume to anyone, correct?"

"YES!" most of the students answered enthusiastically, while Lelouch contended with emitting a groan that went unheard.

"This is a Ball, of course, but to make it even more entertaining, here's the contest: find out the real identity of anyone, and under my orders as a President of the Council, the one who is discovered will have to follow the winner's every whim for a day starting tomorrow morning. However—" Milly's interrupted the excited chatter, "—you have to discover their identity while dancing together. You only get to dance with a partner once every half-an-hour. Expose as many as you want, but making a wrong guess, and/or breaking any of the rules will irreversibly disqualify you of exposing anyone, but others may still expose your identity. You are being watched carefully, so no cheating! My identity is already exposed, so I won't be part of the contest. There's another exception—" Milly's grin grew positively evil, and Lelouch frowned, "—following my orders, Lelouch Lamperouge is now dressed in a girl's costume—"

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeh!" the collective gasp was issued all around, and Lelouch winced slightly.

"—whoever discovers him will have the following benefit: doubling the financial funds provided for their clubs! So that the girls will also have a chance—" Milly added in a deceptively compassionate voice, "—girls will be allowed to dance with girls they suspect of being Lelouch Lamperouge. Lelouch, you are not allowed to expose any identity! The deadline is 1:00am. Remember, no cheating! Let the game begin!"

_Milly, you—_ Lelouch mentally growled as he realized the implications of Milly's orders. Not only would he have to parade around as a girl, but he would have to dance with guys, countless of them. He hoped the Kimono would make them reluctant to approaching him.

He forgot about Suzaku's existence.

"Will you dance with me?" Suzaku asked in obvious embarrassment.

_The torture had begun,_ Lelouch was actually whimpering inside. _No wonder Milly said that being exposed will royally embarrass me further._

"Ok," Lelouch answered, thinking that he should get on with it.

The first song was a slow tune, which in turn implicated closer contact than Lelouch was comfortable with. Suzaku was not actually suave as he placed a hand on Lelouch's waist, while Lelouch placed his hand on his shoulder, and their free hands clasped together. Suzaku made no further movement. Lelouch looked at him questioningly. Suzaku blushed.

"I don't know how to dance," he stammered.

Lelouch sighed, not hiding his exasperation, "Follow my lead," he said resignedly.

Now he had to succumb to the torture of Suzaku stepping on his feet. It was almost funny how Suzaku repeated remorseful apologies, but Lelouch's futile attempts at saving his feet from further harm was not amusing in the least. But small miracles did happen; Suzaku was getting the hang of the simple steps, and soon he was the one steering Lelouch.

"If you don't mind asking, why did you choose the Kimono?" Suzaku asked him as soon as he thought it safe to stop looking at his feet.

"Why shouldn't I?" Lelouch asked honestly, "The Kimono is an admirable part of Japan's culture, and we _are _in Japan. Besides, it's beautiful and elegant," he added.

"Not many Britannians think like that," Suzaku shook his head grimly, "Appreciating another country's culture is considered degrading . . . almost as if loyalty to your own country doesn't coexist with knowing about other cultures."

While Lelouch was surprised that Suzaku was expressing showing such introspective opinion, he feared that his statement reflected the current mindset most of the Britannians had these days. Because they feel that their culture, mannerism, technology, and social standing was the best, they felt that getting to know other cultures would be a waste of time, and could taint their own 'holy' culture.

Sadly, Lelouch knew that if he was still a recognized Prince, he probably would have had that mindset as well.

"Unfortunately, fear of change is a characteristic of the human race," Lelouch whispered despondently, and Suzaku frowned down at him, "—the song finished, and I still did not figure out your identity," Lelouch added stepping away, and smiling up at Suzaku, "Have you figured out mine?"

Suzaku chuckled, "No, it's my loss,"

"You could try again after 30 minutes," Lelouch suggested before leaving the dancing floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some other girl approaching Suzaku. Despite the many layers the Kimono provided, Lelouch tried to ignore how cold it felt stepping away from Suzaku.

It was a few minutes before he was asked to dance again. Despite the fact that Milly's scheme had primarily made him a target of the whole school, he couldn't help having fun figuring out the other's identities. He was quick to spot Shirley in her angel's outfit. Rivalz was pretending to be Scarecrow, but Lelouch noticed in amusement that his eyes were glued to Milly. Kallen had apparently chosen to go in a leathery Cat woman outfit, complete with the ears and tail.

To his immense amusement, some girls asked to dance with him, but he quickly declined, thinking that accepting would only rouse their suspicions.

It was always entertaining whenever someone was discovered. No one wanted to be disqualified, so that kind of distraction was not often.

As expected no one was able to decipher his true identity.

He had danced with Suzaku every 30 minutes, which was against his better judgment, but they didn't talk much, as the songs were always loud and upbeat, which also meant, to Lelouch's relief, they didn't need to be close to each other.

Walking away from Suzaku, he glanced at his watch. 12:56 am. Not long away from freedom.

Distracted, he didn't notice the other presence looming over him quick enough.

"Dance with me?" before Lelouch could take a look, a hand closed around his wrist and dragged him back to the dance floor.

Lelouch was not pleased to discover that it was the prude who had pushed him earlier that evening. He was disguised as a filthy pirate, complete with an eye-patch, and a hook that replaced his left hand.

"I do not recall agreeing to this," Lelouch said, barely managing to maintain the delicate and soft voice he had chosen.

"Why not? You should consider yourself lucky, finding a partner when you are wearing this," the Pirate nodded with his head towards Lelouch's kimono in obvious disgust.

"A pirate's social favor is nothing to brag about," Lelouch said icily, "Nevertheless, if the situation is so undesirable, I will take no offence if your retract your offer to dance,"

Lelouch took a step back, but the Pirate pulled him back, bringing their bodies closer than Lelouch was comfortable with. In fact, if Lelouch had his way, he would prefer a ten feet parameter between them.

"Even though you are imitating such a degrading culture, you are still beautiful," the Pirate leered, and Lelouch turned his face away. The offender pulled him even closer, and Lelouch begin struggling. "Ah, don't be like that, let's dance, and maybe go somewhere private, who cares about this stupid game anyway?"

Screw this, it's not like he was Schneizel! He was not helpless! He began struggling, but the costume was not meant to allow him free movement. He moved his arm, ready to strike him. This had happened before, and it hadn't helped him. In fact, it had made his situation worse. Recalling the incident, it was just like this: his heart was pounding, and his movements were restricted, and a close overwhelming presence.

_Schneizel—_

Suddenly, and violently, the stifling presence disappeared, and a familiar presence took its place. His mind was a jumble mess. His breathing was erratic and heavy. His eyes could only see horrifying shadows from the past. He was having a panic attack, his mind supplied, and he couldn't control it.

The noise level grew lower slowly, and he felt that he was being dragged away. He still wasn't reassured in the least.

They stopped. It was totally silent.

A paper bag covered his mouth and nose.

"Breathe slowly." The voice ordered, but it warm, concerned.

Lelouch knew logically what the other was trying to do, but, as already established, he was under the aftereffects of a panic attack. All he knew was that he wanted to be alone, and he supposed that swatting would accomplish that. A warm hand grabbed his, and held it firmly. "Look at me," the voice was sharp with demand, and Lelouch could not disobey. He looked at warm familiar green eyes. "Hold the bag. Look at me. Breathe slowly." and Lelouch listened, because the eyes promised that he was safe, that it was going to be okay.

He was safe.

Gradually, he calmed down, and was able to focus. Suzaku smiled at him, but it was crooked with worry. "Are you okay, Lelouch?"

"How do you know it's me?" Lelouch asked, and to his horror his voice was trembling.

Suzaku's smile became sincere, "I knew no one else would dare to go in that outfit, and no one else who have been to carry it with the kind of dignity that you have—" his face fell so suddenly that Lelouch blinked, "I'm so sorry that I didn't pull him off you quick enough,"

Lelouch looked away, "I don't need your protection, Suzaku," he said darkly.

A pair of arms wrapped around him, and pulled him close. A big kind hand guided Lelouch's head so that it would rest on his chest. Lelouch blinked again. The embrace was not stifling in the least. It was as if a pair of wings had wrapped around him, with a dangerous layer on the outside, but a haven on the inside.

"I know," Suzaku whispered. But the embrace had spoken louder and firmer words.

_I want to, Lelouch. I will._

Lelouch closed his eyes tightly, and single tear made its way down his cheek.

_You can't . . . Suzaku . . ._

But he would allow the pretense of a sanctuary last for a while longer.

It was almost time to allow the devil to be born.

T.B.C

-----------------------

A/N: *Taking a look at the chapter* this is far from what I expected when I began writing this chapter. I like it. Though why do I always ruin any good fun with angst? T.T Now I know why torturing Lelouch is so fun. It is also hard to resist the urge of adding Japanese words, but I thought I should stick with one language :)

"Japan's Liberation Front" became "Japan's Purification Front" for the simple reason that Japan was not 'militarily invaded', though as you know from the chapter, Schneizel had been weakening its defenses from within. Is it believable? Hope so =)

I was most unhappy when I had to change the color of Lelouch's eyes and hiding his hair under the wig, but what else could I do? Purple eyes are not that common among the students :) Could someone draw Lelouch in Kimono? He'd be stunning, I'm sure *sigh*

Now, this chapter is long and has cute parts, and I have updated two days early, ne? What say you reward me for that? *An arrow flashing pointedly at the review button*

Until next week,

La Luna Negra out.


	7. Tentative Alliances

**Disclaimer:** Own Nothing :]

**Warning:** Point of view will not remain with Lelouch or Suzaku. It will change as the story sees fit (Yes, the story, not me, I have no say in this). I don't want to spring things suddenly with no explanation beforehand.

And I won't bother with Author Notes now because I assume everyone will skip the whole thing to read—

**Chapter Seven:** _Tentative Alliances. _

Something had shifted between them.

The day before, Lelouch had defiantly ignored it. He wasn't sure what had happened after Suzaku released him from the embrace, but he vaguely remembered that Suzaku had escorted him to his dorm. How he had proceeded to remove the Kimono, and put on a pair of pajamas was a mystery. For the peace of his mind, Lelouch decided that he had underestimated his ability to perform difficult tasks despite being exhausted (He was under the impression that the Kimono was not easier to take off than to put on).

Nevertheless, he still had not acknowledged the shift as he started to settle in the clubhouse, but then Milly grabbed his shoulders, and shook him slightly. He stared at her slightly startled, before frowning in clear displeasure.

"Care to tell me why you had disappeared at 1:01am yesterday?!" Milly growled, obviously pissed off.

Lelouch's frown deepened. He was not surprised that she knew when he had left exactly. Milly had made sure to install the several double doors with Identification Equipment (via fingerprints), in order to mark the time of each arrival, departure, and identity. If the identity did not match the List, then the doors would not open. Everyone had entered one at a time.

That way, Milly had been reassured that no one extra had attended (There were tickets, and they were not cheap). She definitely knew that Lelouch was there the whole time. She had been able to discern the true identity of every male who had attended, so she knew that Lelouch did come as a girl.

Now Milly wanted to know why he had left.

Lelouch had not known that he was lucky enough to leave after the deadline of discovering his identity.

"I couldn't stand being in the costume anymore than was strictly necessary," Lelouch deadpanned, shrugging off her hold on him.

Instinctively, he glanced at Suzaku, thinking gratefully that the other had not divulged what had transpired, but then he saw something odd.

Suzaku was blushing . . . really blushing . . . as in, his whole face was red, which was an accomplishment, Suzaku being so tanned . . . Lelouch could almost safely bet that an egg could be fried on his forehead.

Lelouch raised his eyebrows in confusion, but Milly was not to be ignored.

"Strictly necessary?!" Milly repeated incredulously, "No one had seen your costume, Lulu, the horror! Who were you? Come on, I have looked at each girl. I thought your 'manly' manners would shine through no matter what, but no! They were all real _girls_! You are good, Lulu, really, we should call you Luluko from now on—"

"Luluko?" Lelouch interrupted. "What's that?"

"Now, now, Luluko, how come you don't know that 'ko' is a popular suffix to Japanese girls' name? Sayoko had told me," Milly added matter-of-factly, "Now you _have_ to tell me who you were! Please!"

"Have you seen that girl who had worn a Japanese Kimono?" Shirley interjected frantically, and Lelouch saw that as her attempt to change the subject, but it only brought his doom even closer, "She was so beautiful! A lot of guys were dancing with her. She danced with Suzaku a lot, didn't she, Suzaku?" Lelouch fought hard not to groan in exasperation.

"Eh?" Suzaku turned even redder, as if that was possible, "Ah, I did. It's—I know how uncomfortable Kimonos can be, so—" his voice trailed off, shrugging.

"You don't know who she is?" Kallen asked curiously, "She had some nerve showing up in a Kimono. I like her."

Suzaku choked, and Lelouch fought hard not follow his example. Rivalz laughed.

Kallen blushed, "Not like that, pervert!" she hit Suzaku the back of his head for good measure, and thoughtfully kicked Rivalz straight to the wall.

"Nice to meet you again," Rivalz told the wall dazedly, before sinking to the floor.

"Oh my," Nina, finally aware of her surroundings, stared at Rivalz's prone figure, "Is he going to be okay?"

Kallen didn't look regretful, and no one was about to stand in her way.

In all the commotion, Lelouch tried to sneak away.

"Where do you think you are going?" Milly's voice was threateningly close.

_Damn._

_-----------------------------_

"Your Highness!"

Though his voice was urgent, Princess Cornelia acknowledged him with a crisp, "Guilford,"

Her light purple eyes narrowed slightly as she took in his appearance. As her personal Knight, Gilbert Guilford was careful to be immaculate at all times, and though he was currently presentable, he was at her side frequently enough to judge him slightly disheveled this day, which only heightened the level of urgency.

"Permission to report, your Highness," Guilford knelt in front of her, his head bowed so low that she couldn't even see his pair of glasses. She distractedly wondered why he wouldn't correct them; money and technology were certainly not the problem.

"Relax, Guildford,"

Under normal circumstance, it would be odd for a princess to issue such an order, but she knew that would alert Guilford that there is no surveillance. Indeed, they were alone in the meeting room, and she knew it was 'clean'.

True to her prediction, Guildford rose to his feet, and stood at attention. Cornelia hid a smile behind her stern mask; 'relax' might be the only order Guilford would never obey in her presence.

"Report,"

"Emperor Schneizel is gathering troops in Japan, and their search is focused on but not limited to Tokyo. There have been no results. While Intelligence had been confirmed that the Ryushingumi had used our own weapons in the last Terrorist Attack, the Ryushingumi had disappeared," Guilford voice was tight, and Cornelia was hard pressed to not clench her hands. "Other fairly known groups had vanished into thin air as well. Japan's Purification Front is hard to track, but Emperor Schneizel is not bothering with them, too early: if he does, he will have to face all Japan's fury, as they are a legal organization. He will, eventually,"

Cornelia frowned slightly, but she was not surprised. Schneizel's interest in Japan was shared by other countries. As the producer of nearly 70% of the world's Sakuradite, Japan held an immeasurable influence on the other countries. While Japan held the world's attention, they were careful not to spark any justified ill-intention towards them. Schneizel had considered forcefully taking over Japan, but that would only invite the other nations to the fight, and all sides would have lost some way or another. But that didn't mean that Schneizel had backed off.

Indeed, she knew her brother best; he was sly and cunning, weighing the pros and cons with a cool head.

"Any progress on the other issue?"

Guildford lowered his gaze, and she knew long before he answered.

"No, your Highness. My deepest apologies,"

-----------------------------

_Stop blushing, damn it!_ Suzaku scolded himself, but the physical reaction was not to be denied. He couldn't even _think _about what had happened. He needed to apologize. But what would he be apologizing for, exactly? It's not as if he had done anything _wrong._ He had helped Lelouch out of the Kimono and into the pajamas, because Lelouch had been in shock; he was staring at the wall, and wouldn't move an inch. Suzaku had been actually forced to carry Lelouch up the stairs, not fun in the least. So, it was actually noble of Suzaku to do all that, but . . . but . . .

Suzaku groaned.

"What's wrong with you?"

It was Lelouch, his current obsession. They were both eating as usual in the cafeteria, and Suzaku had chosen to follow Lelouch out of habit. Shouldn't he have tried to stay away until he cooled down?

_But then I wouldn't know where he is, _Suzaku's forehead connected painfully with the table as punishment for such a childish thought. What was he thinking? Shouldn't he have more discipline that?

_Soft pale skin—_

"Oi, oi, are you okay?" Lelouch asked, sounding slightly alarmed.

Suzaku committed the mortal mistake of looking up at Lelouch.

_Inky black hair against the pillow—_

He had never seen Lelouch so vulnerable.

_The weight in his arms was light, a delicate existence—_

Lelouch would kill him for having such thoughts.

_Sleeping, his lashes were long, and dark against such pale skin—_

Suzaku stared at Lelouch, and Lelouch stared back. Both were ignoring their meals quite effectively.

_Light weight, not a surprise—_

"You should eat," Suzaku was happy to note that his voice was steady, but he knew he was still blushing. He hoped his tan would hide the red tinge.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, before turning to focus his attention on his meal.

"Thanks for helping me out yesterday,"

It was soft statement, one that Suzaku had almost missed. Nonetheless, it caused him slight trepidation. While Lelouch sounded grateful, Suzaku was reminded painfully of what Lelouch had said the day before.

_I don't need your protection, Suzaku._

_Ugh,_ Suzaku's concern was unhealthy, and if his reaction to Lelouch's vulnerability was any indication, all the signs were telling him to stay away, but . . . but . . .

"You are my friend, Lelouch, I'm happy I was able to help," Suzaku said matter-of-factly, and doing his best to focus on his sandwich. He missed Lelouch's wide eyes.

_Lelouch was alluring, and he was undeniably turned on. It took a herculean effort to only tuck Lelouch in, turn off the light, and leave the dorm in darkness. He deserved a goddamned badge of valor!_

Something had definitely shifted.

-----------------------------

"How much time is left?" Tohdoh asked coldly.

"Ten minutes until contact is established," Urabe answered immediately.

They were now in the most private meeting room in the building. It was only Tohdoh and Urabe though, and both were looking at the monitor suspiciously.

A week ago, extensive documents were found on the desktop of Urabe's personal computer. They had many details including but not limited to the list of members, the chain of command, connections, their funds, and the basements.

In short, there was enough information to enable the Britannians to find and annihilate them.

In an additional file, they found a formal request to hold a meeting, which should start after (Urabe glanced at his watch) three minutes.

"You still haven't discovered the source of the breach?" Tohdoh inquired sternly.

"No, we haven't,"

Urabe was ashamed. His system and security was something to brag about. He would have suspected that there was a spy, but it was definitely not an inside job. In fact, if the culprit had not left those documents behind, they would have never known that there was a breach in the first place. But the culprit wanted them to know, and had given them enough time to strengthen their technical defenses.

But there was one thing they knew for sure about their 'enemy'. It wasn't the Britannians. That fact was not reassuring; they had enough on their plate without adding invisible entities attacking them.

"This is your chance to know where he is," Tohdoh's voice interrupted Urabe's grim thoughts. "It's time."

And true to his word, the monitor became a black screen flashing voice only.

"Greetings, High Commander Tohdoh, Commander Urabe," the voice had a sinister quality to it, but it was not threatening, at least not yet.

Tohdoh frowned. The connection was 'voice only' on both sides (Urabe made sure of that). The message that had been left for them did not suggest Tohdoh's attendance. It was a given that any High Commander would find the current events unsettling, but the stranger surely had no way of knowing that he would there.

How much did their opponent know about them?

"I would advise you Commander Urabe against trying to trace me, but as I know it would do no good, I prefer to focus on our discussion, High Commander Tohdoh,"

"Who are you?" Tohdoh asked dispassionately.

"No need for a name," the voice matched Tohdoh's tone. Tohdoh glanced at Urabe, who was typing away on another computer. "More important issues demand our attention,"

"Like what?" Tohdoh was determined not to offer his opinions/thoughts. His attention was focused on the new piece that had appeared on the board.

"Like the fact that your organization is trying to stand against a nation that has resources that could not be beaten by child's play, better known as terrorism, or by ridiculously believing that the Empire of Britannia will fall to blood feud," Tohdoh scowled in contained rage, but the voice continued heedlessly, "the history of ascending to the throne of the Empire is bloody. Countless times parents, siblings, and children were slaughtered to assure the triumph of one over another. The simple betrayal that may have befallen Lelouch Vi Britannia would not make anyone bat an eye. Using him as a hostage would not work, as he presumed to be dead. Worse, Schneizel may use that opportunity to obliterate you for threatening the Empire. Trying to make Lelouch overthrow Schneizel will not work either. Schneizel has power, and Lelouch does not. Schneizel had proven his worthiness, while Lelouch had not. Besides, he'll probably never rebel against his brother. All of that, of course, presuming that he's alive. All you are doing is losing your time and resources on a lost cause," the voice sounded as if he was reciting a failed stupid plan, all the while his voice indicating faint amusement.

"You seem to know an awful lot about Britannians," Tohdoh said offhandedly.

"Books are rather extensive in the history of Britannia, visiting that section in any Library does not hurt." The voice did not bite the bait.

"So what do you want?" Tohdoh did not try to dangle it further.

"From you? Nothing," and Tohdoh blanched in surprise. "Initial contact has been established. We are not going in the open yet. However, your organization is the most tempting target of Schneizel. Unfortunately, your organization's name implies loyalty to Japan only, but Britannia's victims are not only the Japanese. We will not join, but should justice be your side, we'll be there as well. Commander Urabe, your skill is undeniable," Urabe, who was now sweating, glared at the black screen, "I must take my leave, High Commander Tohdoh. Until we meet again,"

The usual image on the desktop appeared, but Tohdoh noticed a file that was not there previously.

"He's good," Urabe was frustrated, still typing and clicking, trying to garner further information, "It was like a goose chase. Strong defense, fake weaknesses which only led to traps and fake IP addresses kept popping up." Urabe looked ready to rip his hair, "For a moment there, I was convinced he was in France! And now I have to deal with the heaps of viruses and spyware he had sent to my computer! If I get him, I will—"

"I now know why he had sent those documents," Tohdoh interrupted calmly, maybe too calmly.

"Why?" Urabe asked, sufficiently distracted.

"To convince that he could obtain information of this level," Tohdoh nodded toward the screen.

It took Urabe less than a minute to realize the gravity of the situation.

"Holy crap!"

-----------------------------

**Author Notes:** *sigh* for some reason, things were slow. Result: seven pages of reluctant writing. Almost like a writer block. Isn't it a bit early for that? *scowl* After the last chapter, I find this somewhat lacking, but I tried to make the situation as vague as possible. Thank you so much the reviews and the encouragement that you have given me, whether by clicking on the story to read it, or by leaving a review helps me out. Though I always prefer to read your opinion *a flashing arrow at the review button* come on, you know you want me to hear you out! **:**3

Until next week,

La Luna Negra out.


	8. Movements

**Disclaimer:** Own nothing.

**A/N: **I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Not a lot had happened last chapter, so the response was lesser than usual. I was greedy for more *pout* Anyway, I hope to make up for it in this chapter.

**Chapter Eight:** _Movements_

The light of a single monitor on the wall was the sole source of illumination in the room. The monitor displayed a dark-haired teenager doing his homework. Every now and then, he would shift his attention to the chess board next to him, and continue the game he had initiated against himself earlier that afternoon.

The chess game was interesting. The teenager made sure that it lasted long, sometimes (deliberately?) making mistakes to make the situation more difficult for both sides. They believed it was his way of learning to exploit weaknesses, or to evade said weaknesses.

And they were sure that the boy was probably bored, and this was his way to entertain himself.

They were responsible of monitoring every move the boy made, flickering the monitoring from one camera to another as they followed him through the school. If the boy happened to leave the school, they'd follow, but it was difficult; they weren't sure how the boy got away from them, but it happened all the time. They needed more people to monitor the boy more closely. Their boss told them to keep their eyes on him, which was literal, as the surveillance was visual only (No audio). They made sure to stick to that duty.

But sometimes they were bored. When bored, they would leave the duty to one of them, and the rest would leave to have a break (which could last for hours). They believed that nothing could happen, as no one knew they were there.

Once, they had returned to find their abandoned partner asleep. After scolding him, they reviewed the surveillance tapes, and saw that their target had stayed in his dormitory. Another mishap happened on Halloween; they weren't able to figure out the boy's costume. Finally, they decided to duplicate one of the boy's mundane days, and mark it as Halloween's day. The boy's serious nature would convince their boss that the boy simply skipped the celebration. Which might not be far from the truth, they contemplated, as the boy had been down the whole week before Halloween. Thankfully, their boss had not asked them about it.

Knowing that their boss was not merciful, they decided to keep their silence about any mishaps. As long as the tapes showed the boy's every moment in the school, their boss wouldn't suspect a thing.

They didn't know their boss' identity, or his goals, and they didn't care that what they were doing was unethical. However, they always turned off the monitor and stopped the recording whenever the boy changed clothes, and gave him three minutes before continuing (their boss' instructions). And there was no surveillance in the bathrooms.

The fact that they were being paid rather handsomely for that was a great incentive to follow the anonymous orders.

"A gorgeous afternoon like this is rare in winter." One of them grumbled, "Why can't he go outside like normal kids, and we would have followed him?"

No one bothered to answer. They were bored again, but they couldn't afford new mishaps so soon, so they focused their attention on the boy as he resumed his homework.

-----------------------------

The cell phone vibrated. It could only be him. She picked it up.

"Yes." She said quietly, careful to continue her delicate work.

"A reminder . . . Today . . . 5:30 . . . my room."

Her smile was unperceptive. "Roger."

"Don't say such a weird sentence in front of others. Don't blow your cover."

"Of course."

-----------------------------

"—Rollo is focusing on piloting Knightmares, says he wants to be on the field,"

"What?" Lelouch hissed.

C.C shot him an admonishing look, but the effect was significantly lessened by the fact that she had her teeth in the slice of Pizza (Was this the fifth order or the sixth?). And even if it was in full effect, Lelouch thought in cold anger, he wouldn't care.

"Why would he join them?" Lelouch demanded in a harsh whisper. "He's only fifteen!"

They were in one of the many branches of Pizza Hut. Lelouch was infinitely glad that they changed their disguises every time they wandered in any of the branches. However, rumors about someone eating such incredible orders had made Pizza Hut even more popular. The reasoning was along the lines that it must be _really_ good to make a slim girl eat such huge amounts. Lelouch supposed that if C.C was overweight, people wouldn't even blink.

Still, eating around ten boxes of Pizza must be some kind of a record.

C.C finished her current piece, "Do you really want me to answer that?" her gaze was a bit more unnerving than usual, but Lelouch met it head on, positively glaring. "Ok, but don't you dare claim that I have not warned you." She didn't give him a chance to brace himself, "He's doing it to avenge you," she said nonchalantly.

Lelouch was nonplussed, "Excuse me?"

C.C rolled her eyes, "You were 'killed' by terrorists. He wants revenge. So he wants to destroy terrorists." She said patronizingly.

Lelouch clenched his teeth. He was not particularly bothered by C.C's tone, but certainly aggravated by the news. He had hoped that Cornelia's protective nature would prevent such a thing, but he was not surprised. Rollo's devotion and admiration was fixed on Lelouch instead of Schneizel, so his 'death' must have hit him hard. Nunnally and Euphemia had Cornelia to turn to, but Rollo—

"When had he started?" Lelouch asked fighting to keep his voice controlled.

"A few days ago," C.C had finished another piece, and picked the last one. Thoughtfully, she looked at the empty pan, and then promptly called the waiter over, "Another one," she said simply.

The waiter was happy to comply.

"He's promising to be one of the best," C.C smirked, "He'd be happy to know you are concerned,"

Lelouch refrained from replying immediately. Rollo's decision was an obstacle he had unforeseen. But Rollo's training would probably take him a while, years even, if he was 'promising'. He might not even be dispatched in the field. Cornelia would probably stop him.

_Even so, I have to be prepared for the worst case scenario._

"So he's not spending as much time with Nunnally and Euphemia as before," Lelouch concluded.

"I might as well tell you now," C.C was still smirking, "They are both scheduled to begin learning after two years from now. Not much time is left."

"Two years is plenty of time," Lelouch did not allow himself to be rattled.

"What are you going to do?"

"Later," Lelouch raised an eyebrow, "What about Cornelia?"

"Still the same as usual," C.C shrugged. "She had not budged an inch. You weren't exaggerating when you said that she was stubborn."

"I'm not surprised, but I had hoped that she'd stay out of the way," Lelouch was dismayed.

Sensing that the atmosphere was darkening, they hastily changed their attention to Nunnally and Euphemia's activities, which were significantly lighter and humorous. C.C's flat tone didn't manage to make the stories dull, and Lelouch still had vivid memories of their playful nature. They were barely thirteen now, so he supposed they still enjoyed outdoor activity that involved flowers and butterflies. He remembered that though his nature as a boy made him avoid such girlish activities, he was always close by, watching over them with their mother. Of course, he smiled with amusement, physical activity was not his favorite either, preferring to read or play chess instead. And, his thoughts became grim, avoid Schneizel at all costs; even back then he was wary of his oldest brother, and he was right.

It was not the best Childhood, but he was happy . . . until tragedy struck.

Lelouch blocked those memories vehemently.

"How long has it been since you last saw him?" C.C asked suddenly.

Lelouch knew who she was talking about, "A month," he said quietly. Technically, it had been three weeks, but that was an unscheduled visit, so it probably didn't count in Schneizel's book.

C.C looked at him suspiciously, "Even with all you are doing, you are still going to play his game?" she asked.

Lelouch glared at her, "I don't exactly have a choice here," he all but snapped.

C.C immediately backed off. It was a touchy subject, and she knew it.

It was a while before they parted ways.

-----------------------------

The cell phone vibrated.

"Yes." She said, aware that her voice was different than usual.

"Change your cloths."

"Right—"

-----------------------------

Suzaku was not a thoughtful soul.

Sure, he spent time doing his homework, and contributing to regular meetings, but he never did focus on _internal _thoughts, contemplating actions, and wondering what the hell was wrong.

So it was 'insightful' instead of 'thoughtful'.

And now he was criticizing his own thoughts.

Brilliant!

It was a new habit, really, thinking so much. But one he could not avoid when around someone like Lelouch Lamperouge.

It was unfair that his thoughts were focused on such undeserving target. Lelouch had made it clear all those weeks ago that he did not encourage Suzaku's trust in him, and it only made sense that he would not satisfy Suzaku's curiosity.

But then again, Suzaku was not about to tell him about his 'other' life, his current mission. Of course, it's not like Lelouch had such dark secrets, so Suzaku would have appreciated it immensely if the other boy would at least behave naturally around him. But ever since the Kimono Incident (Suzaku still blushed slightly at the memory), Lelouch did not feel right. Suzaku frowned slightly as he looked at the back of Lelouch's head (They were currently in class). What a 'natural Lelouch' would entail, Suzaku had no idea. If he was honest, it almost felt as if Lelouch had Multiple Personality Disorder. It wasn't that he was moody, Suzaku nodded to himself pensively. It was as if different people are running around through the day claiming to be Lelouch.

In class, that was not evident, but the changes were tangible in the clubhouse. A fine example would be like this: one day, Milly would be bullying Lelouch mercilessly, but he wouldn't fight back. The next day, he would be highly argumentative. If they see him again, he would be less aggravating, but would not be pushed around easily.

Suzaku would have explained that away quickly if that was the only irregular activity. He moved his attention to oddity number two: Lelouch began confining himself to his room instead of the roof, again, not worrisome, if there were no other symptoms.

What most worried Suzaku, if he was to be completely honest, was his friendship with Lelouch. Whatever his 'personality' was, he would stay away from Suzaku if they were alone, or would ignore him to talk with the other occupants of the room (Shirley blushed under the attention).

Suzaku was miserable.

Kallen was quick to notice, of course, but she ignored him. Things were not quite right between them, which did not mean much, as they were not that close. Kallen had always claimed that if they were on opposite sides, she wouldn't hesitate to rip him to pieces. Suzaku believed her.

Suzaku made up his mind.

He was going to resolve the problem today.

-----------------------------

Cornelia glanced at Rollo wearily. His decision to join the military training was aggravating her, making her slightly anxious.

They were playing Chess, a game that their Father was adamant they learn and respect.

For a moment, she remembered her little brother Lelouch. Had he been alive, he would be the Emperor now. What would he have done? He had been only 12 when he had died (her heart pounded painfully at the bitter memory), but he had shown his talent in Chess games and outwitting his peers, and sometimes Cornelia herself, though she was three years older than him. Their father was proud of Lelouch's skill, though it was probably unknown to Lelouch himself. Would Lelouch have been a ruthless and cruel Emperor? Would he have been able to stop Rollo, or would he have chosen to encourage him? Ah the wonders of 'what if' games.

From a political stand-point, Rollo's actions are admired in a male leader. Chances of him becoming an Emperor were nonexistent, so the only path left was military-related triumphs.

However a strong reason made her ignore the current issue, and concentrate on more pressing issues.

She moved her queen. Unbidden, Lelouch's words were remembered, saying in firm, far from childish voice.

_If the King does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?_

Indeed, how could they?

-----------------------------

Lelouch cursed under his breath,

He was standing in front of his open footlocker. Though it had an innocent appearance, the note's origin made it ominous. He knew it was almost time to receive said note, but he had hoped—as he always did—that Schneizel would be too busy, or deem the meeting not worth his time.

His hopes were always dashed away, and he had no reason to expect that this time would be any different.

Mechanically, he unfolded the note. He stared at it incredulously.

He must have been staring at it for a long time, because a tanned hand snatched it away.

"Is a love letter that shocking?" a familiar voice said in amusement. "Let us see—"

He whirled around in panic, ready to snap at the aggressor, but the words died in his throat when he saw the look on Suzaku's face.

"_Last time was unplanned, so I'll give you time to recover._" Suzaku quoted, and then looked up. "Recover from what? Who is SEB?" he frowned in worry, "Calm down, Lelouch, I've never seen you like this before,"

Lelouch growled, and snatched the note back. _Of all the times to sign with his bloody name!_ He thought aggressively. "Don't follow me!" he hissed, and stomped away. He wasn't running; it's not like he was frightened.

But he was frightened. And the cause of his fear was not Schneizel. It wasn't until he made his way up to roof that he realized the real reason of his fear.

He was frightened of what Suzaku might think . . . what would Suzaku say if he knew who Lelouch really was? What if Suzaku knew that he was so weak that he allowed his brother to overpower him the past few years? Suzaku would be disgusted . . . ashamed of their friendship . . .

Suzaku wouldn't trust him anymore.

So what? Lelouch thought angrily. It's not as if the path he had chosen would allow him friendships. He needed allies, power, and strategy. He did not need friendships. Any friend would be a weakness, and Schneizel was a master of exploiting any weakness that Lelouch might have. Schneizel had enough cards against him, and he couldn't be contemplating adding _more_—

But he had already fallen. It was too late. He trusted Suzaku. He cared about Suzaku, and Schneizel had already suspected something. Lelouch had promised that he would never trust anyone other than C.C, his accomplice in this. But he had the audacity to trust that Suzaku would never betray him.

What right did he have to trust though? Suzaku granted his trust to Lelouch Lamperouge, and not to Lelouch Vi Britannia_._ And he knew what Suzaku's role in this, and meant him no harm, but—

Lelouch swore vehemently, and slammed his fist on the safety bar. It didn't help, but only made it worse. He cursed again, cradling his hand to his chest, and wincing slightly.

The sound of footsteps behind him caused him to tense instinctively.

"I'm sure the bar is not to blame," Suzaku's voice reached him, and to his own surprise he relaxed. He resolutely did not acknowledge the new presence.

"Let me see that," Before he could stop him, Suzaku took Lelouch's injured hand in his own with surprising tenderness. Lelouch couldn't help noticing how different their hands were. Lelouch's had long delicate fingers, pale, and undeniably smooth. Suzaku's fingers were long as well, but rough, tanned, and calloused. Nice, protective hands. A flutter in his chest made its presence known as he watched Suzaku examining his hand.

"It's gonna bruise, of course," did Suzaku sound regretful? "But you have not broken anything. It will probably be a pain to hold your pen tomorrow. Use your left hand to carry anything."

He squashed the stupid feeling, and thought of ice water to control the blush that was threatening to make an appearance. "Thanks for the diagnosis," he deadpanned.

Suzaku grinned, before his mood shifted again, "I'm so sorry that I made you angry," he said remorsefully, and Lelouch fought hard not to blink, "I shouldn't have read that note, but you looked so pale, well, paler than usual—" Lelouch glared at him, "And I was concerned," Suzaku finished lamely.

"Don't be." Lelouch was not about to let Suzaku off the hook, but he didn't want to pique his curiosity. When in doubt, Lelouch thought, ignore Suzaku Kururugi.

"I shouldn't ask—" Suzaku began hesitantly.

"Then don't."

"Ok, that's enough!" Suzaku sounded so angry that Lelouch had to acknowledge him. He tried to not wince as Suzaku directed a scorching glare in his direction. "That's enough, Lelouch! You have been sulking for two weeks now! Ever since Halloween, you have been avoiding me like the plague. And your shifting personalities were not fun to observe either! What have I done to warrant this? Are you angry that I witnessed a weak moment in your life, Lelouch? Because if that's what it was, then you are being ridiculous! You can't be strong all the time! Be natural for Heaven's sake! _Stop trying to push me away, damn it_!"

Suzaku was breathing heavily, and Lelouch stared at him. He was sure that it's been a long time indeed since someone had last scolded him like this. Concern was obvious, kindness and exasperation was entangled so tightly, and warmth that enveloped Lelouch, like a blanket. And he could not shrug it all off.

For a long while, there was stunned silence; Lelouch suspected that Suzaku had not expected the outburst more than he did.

"I—" Lelouch began, but uncertainty made him hesitate. Was he supposed to apologize?

But Lelouch had broken both the silence and Suzaku's sudden trance.

"Don't say you are sorry," Suzaku said firmly, "because you are probably not. Just promise that you won't push me away." Lelouch was reluctant to make such promise, "I don't need your protection, Lelouch," he added, in an obvious echo of what Lelouch had said after Suzaku had 'saved' him from the Pirate.

And Lelouch couldn't help it.

He laughed.

So Suzaku did not need his protection? It was interesting that he had said that, considering that Suzaku did not know Lelouch's past, or his current situation. But he had had to make sure that Schneizel would never be able to see this conversation. And he knew perfectly how to accomplish that.

"You idiot," Lelouch said good-naturedly.

And it was as good as a promise to Suzaku.

-----------------------------

Rumors were spread freely, eagerly, and wild. Seldom rumors stayed in one place, without moving, a rumor echoing another, becoming wilder with each retelling. It did not need funding, or advertising. Rumors sometimes garnered attention from the Media, if they thought it had a ring of truth, or it could be believable. Rumors deemed too wild and outrageous for the public were ignored. Sometimes, they were considered dangerous, and treated as a sacred taboo, especially if it was politically related, and especially in the Middle East area and its neighbors.

The situation was unstable. Terrorism was such a recurring event that no one flinched in surprise any more, only grief and hopelessness that mounted each day, wondering if they were next . . . wondering if there was another way . . .

Knightmares are capable of huge damage, all of them agreed, but nothing was done to limit the time it was in the field. The civilians were sure that the Knightmares dispatched to stop the terrorists did more damage than any of those terrorists had hoped to accomplish. Buildings and properties were destroyed, innocent bystanders (their only fault was being in the wrong place at the wrong time) lost their lives in the most brutal ways imaginable. Civilians tried to rebuild, tried to stand up on their own, only to have their efforts destroyed again. Some wondered why they even bothered to build anymore. Some wondered what the hell they were still doing there. Most, however, linked all the damage to the presence of Britannian Forces on their land. If they were not there, terrorists would not try to attack them. If they were not there, there would be no huge machines to destroy their land.

Therefore, it was not a surprise that hating Britannians was a given, and wanting to destroy its current government was an ambition of most.

Any new hope was cherished. So the current rumors were hush-hush. Over interest in them meant either one of the two: join them, or expose them? Mysterious incidents began to appear, sudden revelations of corrupt corporations and therefore destroyed, only to be replaced by organizations build by an interested investor.

People could not help hoping again. Terrorism was receding, their supporters dwindling.

With such consequences, was it that hard to believe that the Black Knights were real?

-----------------------------

Tohdoh examined the documents their 'helper' had provided over the past three weeks. Even Urabe could not have given them such precise numbers of the Britannians forces. No arrests were made, which was not a surprise, not when Schneizel was focusing on another goal. A goal they had dreaded since it had all begun.

And Tohdoh hated to admit it. The forces that Britannia had already gathered were enough to annihilate an army.

It was surely more than enough to destroy Japan's Purification Front easily.

Tohdoh scowled.

"Kirihara—" He muttered.

T.B.C

-----------------------------

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTES:** *take a deep breath* IwillleavetoZurichonthe18thofMayandwill returnonthe4thofJulynoupdatesthroughthatperiod *Readers looking at Luna in confusion* Oh all right! I will leave to Zurich on the 18th of May, and will return on the 4th of July. No updates through the period. *wince* I wanted to write extra chapters so that I'd update them through the period, but they were not collaborating lately (especially Lelouch, but Suzaku is a sweetheart XD). And I will be distracted in Zurich, so chances of updating is nil. I'll try, but I won't promise anything.

**I'll make sure to update on the 11****th**** July, 2009. I promise that at least.**

**Free talk:** This chapter had been loaded with extra hints, some obvious, some that were probably ignored. Do not worry, by the time I finish this, I'll probably have answered all your questions. BTW, some might think Tohdoh was talking to Kirihara, but he was actually talking to himself. Questions are welcome, and I'll answer them if they don't disrupt the story's flow, or spoil it for you. Here's a thought: I need a **beta-reader** badly; I'm no good at editing, and I want one who already likes this story. Is there any volunteers?

Thank you so much for the encouragement and continued support!

**Hint:** *arrow flashing rather pointedly at the review button* please? Just so I'd know your opinion. I'm starving here ;)

Take care,

La Luna Negra


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